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Pressure exerted by international governments and agencies to release prisoners of conscience, and the latest meeting where some of his select officials expressed the need for performance evaluation, has driven Isaias Afwerki to the edge.

The president’s independence day speech of May 24 exacerbated the fear of the business community that their ranks will witness some arrests when he sternly threatened, “a few deluded and corrupt individuals and government functionaries.”

The business community in Eritrea is mainly composed of people affiliated with the ruling party’s economic arm which monopolizes all major sectors. The rest are either individuals who are a facade for senior officials of the party, or enjoy the patronage of senior officers of the security and military establishments.

For over a decade, corruption has become a way of life in Eritrea; services in most government offices require the payment of bribes. In addition, several illegal operations take place inside Eritrea, including “ransom payments for Eritrean hostages under the eyes of the government.” A common Arabic expression has found currency in Eritrea: “Hamiha Haramiha” meaning, When the guard is the thief.

About three-weeks ago, Isaias Afwerki called select officials from the ruling party and the government to discuss European and American pressure to reform his government and to release prisoners. Two of the attendants suggested that the government should make some improvements to avoid confrontation with the international community that might harm the country. They pointed out to the substantial promised aid package that Eritrea will lose unless it shows some flexibility. Isaias snapped and angrily reprimanded them emphasizing on the need to resist pressure from the “hegemonic West that does everything to appease the Weyane [his lexicon referring to the Ethiopian government].”

The few private business people including those affiliated with the ruling party have been expressing mild objection to the unyielding stand of the Eritrean government on the face of promised aid packages from West which might not be released.

It is believed that the widespread dissatisfaction prompted Isaias to call the meeting to gauge the general mood but the meeting didn’t go well. At one time Isaias threatened the attendants, “I know that some corrupt officials and so-called business people are salivating and want to skim money from the expected European aid package; we have to clean that first.” He then stood up and walked out of the meeting room.

According to our sources, the business community is “shivering with fear” of what his statements might entail, particularly after he emphasized his threat in his independence day speech. Other sources indicate that the security authorities have already prepared a list of the targeted individuals.

Towards the end of his independence day speech, Isaias said the following:

“Let me mention, at this juncture, a matter that requires attention and which I would not like to gloss over. There are no short cuts or sudden leaps in the development drive or in accumulating wealth and prosperity. One may entertain aspirations and wishes and this is not, of course, a vice. But the malpractices manifested this year by a few deluded and corrupt individuals and government functionaries who sought to amass wealth by any means without toiling and working hard can only lead to a perilous path. Such deplorable practices of corruption and theft must be combated vigorously.“

It is not known “whether the corruption rumors and threats that the presidential office is spreading are intended to terrorize the people into falling in line, or a prelude of an eminent jailing spree.”

A few diplomats from the European Union, particularly Italians, have been spearheading an appeasement attempt to salvage the Eritrean ruling party with an aid package provided it accomplishes minor reform.

An Eritrean who lately escaped arrest and now lives in a safe place told Gedab News that, “the regime is incapable of righting the wrongs.” He added, “if there is reform at all, it will only be cosmetic and short of the minimum required to change the disastrous course on which Isaias is marching.”

how many times do you have to doubt them, and how many times do they have to prove you wrong for you to drop your unfair accusation against AT?

dawit

Hayat,
As long as they censor unfairly. I am sure you have seen the post and that is why you responded, my be the cop was sleeping when I posted it, and as soon as he woke up the censorship too effect? What was wrong or offensive to the great Eritrean song, praising the young Eritreans? I hope those cop will not be part of the future of Eritrea.

said

We all can learn greatly and i would like to quote form the 19th century great theorist Louis-Auguste Blanqui, unlike nearly all of his contemporaries, dismissed the belief, central to Karl Marx, that human history is a linear progression toward equality and greater morality. He warned that this absurd positivism is the lie perpetrated by oppressors: “All atrocities of the victor, the long series of his attacks are coldly transformed into constant, inevitable evolution, like that of nature. … But the sequence of human things is not inevitable like that of the universe. It can be changed at any moment.” He foresaw that scientific and technological advancement, rather than being a harbinger of progress, could be “a terrible weapon in the hands of Capital against Work and Thought.” And in a day when few others did so, he decried the despoiling of the natural world. “The axe fells, nobody replants. There is no concern for the future’s ill health.”

“Humanity,” Blanqui wrote, “is never stationary. It advances or goes backwards. Its progressive march leads it to equality. Its regressive march goes back through every stage of privilege to human slavery, the final word of the right to property.” Further, he wrote, “I am not amongst those who claim that progress can be taken for granted, that humanity cannot go backwards.”

Blanqui understood that history has long periods of cultural barrenness and brutal repression. The fall of the Roman Empire, for example, led to misery throughout Europe during the Dark Ages, roughly from the sixth through the 13th centuries. There was a loss of technical knowledge (one prominent example being how to build and maintain aqueducts), and a cultural and intellectual impoverishment led to a vast historical amnesia that blotted out the greatest thinkers and artists of the classical world. None of this loss was regained until the 14th century when Europe saw the beginning of the Renaissance, a development made possible largely by the cultural flourishing of Islam, which through translating Aristotle into Arabic and other intellectual accomplishments kept alive the knowledge and wisdom of the past. The Dark Ages were marked by arbitrary rule, incessant wars, insecurity, anarchy and terror. And I see nothing to prevent the rise of a new Dark Age if we do not abolish the corporate state. Indeed, the longer the corporate state holds power the more likely a new Dark Age becomes. To trust in some mythical force called progress to save us is to become passive before corporate power. The people alone can defy these forces. And fate and history do not ensure our victory.

Blanqui tasted history’s tragic reverses. He took part in a series of French revolts, including an attempted armed insurrection in May 1839, the 1848 uprising and the Paris Commune—a socialist uprising that controlled France’s capital from March 18 until May 28 in 1871. Workers in cities such as Marseilles and Lyon attempted but failed to organize similar communes before the Paris Commune was militarily crushed.

tes

Dear Awatistas,

I am so delighted to follow such lively discussions. Waw, waw, waw!!!

Keep on nurturing the mind that needs your high service. I am feeling as if I am in Emba Soira and meditiating facing to Adulites. And all I see is the civilization we had. To regain our true essence is not that far. Just lets work with hope and energy.

tes

Wedi Chided

May be Selam, I think she in position.

dawit

Dear Awate Censorship Department, I think you forgot to delete few of my posts! It is difficult to play a Cop to cope with constituents demand. No hard feeling Just a reminder. Have a nice day!

dawit

‘Gheteb

Will Eritrea Catch A Cold If EU Were To Sneeze?

For a background information about this issue, you can refer to what I have written about two months ago in post entitles “The Eritrean Opposition’s EU Thing”

PIA’s Independence Day Speech about corruption in Eritrea has piqued the interest of many Eritreans , induced wild speculations about what will follow and has increased the attempt of trying to read the PFDJ’s tea leaf exponentially so much so that some are trying to connect it to EU aid to Eritrea and who will be made the scapegoat or the sacrificial lamb to end up in one of PFDJ’s hoosegows.

Surely speculations and predictions abound these days even when we are being told by those whose “bailiwick is Isaias and Isaias’s acts” that the Eritrean president is “unpredictable” . That should tell you the difficulty of accurately predicting what will transpire in Eritrea on the heels the president’s warnings about corruption in Eritrea.

It is in these times that I exceedingly envy and wish to have had the ability of Eitay Temetsa’s (ኢታይ ተመርፃ) preternaturally uncanny ability in foretelling and auguries using cowrie shells (ዛዕጐል). The fact that I don’t possess those abilities of predicting what is going to happen in Eritrea leaves no options for mere mortals like me to look around somewhere in an effort of finding out what is in store for Eritrea especially the one in Brussels.

First, regarding the EU aid to Eritrea what everyone should remember is that EU is not going to give the money directly to the Eritrean government or its Ministries. The issue of how EU aid had to be disbursed was a bone of contention between EU and the Eritrean government before and Isaias knows better than anyone that the money is not going to be handed over directly to his minsters or department heads. No, how the aid money is spent is going to be monitored by the EU. Well, don’t take my word for it and read what the EU Commissioner has to say about this.

Begin Quote

Commissioner Mimica tells MEPs that although the Commission acknowledges that Eritrea “continues to violate” its human rights obligations, it takes the position that “engagement” with the country is better than complete withdrawal of all involvement. “Isolation rarely helps in these circumstances”, he adds. He also says that EU aid – totalling some €53.7m between 2008 and now – is allocated to specific projects in the country to support “social and economic development”, rather than the budgets of governmental authorities, adding that spending is backed up by “strict monitoring”.
“There is no support for he central government in Eritrea”, he insists.

Now ask yourself this: why would Isaias worry about some officials “salivating and trying to skim money from the EU aid package money” when he knows that the EU money won’t be directly disbursed and that easy for some corrupt officials to be lining their pockets as you can see from the afore-quoted EU commissioner’s report. From where I stand, it doesn’t make little or even a lick of a sense.

Second, does the Eritrean government expect that the EU will extend its aid package to Eritrea. Well, at least this is what the information minister Mr. Yemane Gebremeskel has to say recently

“Eritrea & the EU are now poised to sign the 11th EDF cooperation agreement; mostly focused on enhancing the country’s energy infrastructure”.

Third, if corruption is so rampant in Eritrea and as we are told time and again that the PFDJ regime and Isaias don’t bother even an iota about due process in arresting and disappearing their opponents and whomever they want to get rid, why would they need all these theatrics when they can simply throw them in the slammers? Again, it makes no sense to me.

Fourth, here is a an example of some in the EU sneezing and you can see that even if EU is not going to extend this aid package to Eritrea, highly unlikely, Eritrea won’t catch a cold for no other reason that as the EPLF used to say even in its infancy “foreign aid is in the final analysis is supplementary and not complementary in Eritrea” [ ናይ ወጻኢ ሓገዝ መመላእታ እምበር መተካእታ ኣይኮነን ::] So life will go on with or without EU aid in Eritrea.

Dear Gheteb
The only real Aid money spent entirely on purpose is in Israel and that is to make tankes and airpalnes to kill innocent Gaza children. No government give aid money directly to the people who need help especially in Africa.Look at Ethiopia , all the USAID , Germany , Uk etc aid money in Ethiopia is spent by the NGOs and weyane , Look at congo kinshasa , a country that is well deep by UN and other NGOs lunatics , where is the money ? Noone knows because there is nothing that get done with aid money except creating more guards to the leaders. PFDJ are on a windfall profit making machine , after 2 years PFDJ are on a roll coaster to an amount of billions . The fertilizer raw material mining is just beyond any capacity of PFDJ , so why will Isais need EU money ?

Abel

Dear Selam,
Here is another nightmare for you and HIGDEF cadres.

Ethiopia’s economy to grow 10.5 percent in 2015/16: World Bank
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s economy is expected to grow by 9.5 percent this fiscal year ending June before accelerating to 10.5 percent in 2015/16, the World Bank said on Friday, adding inflation will remain in single digits during this period.

selam

Dear Abel
We are commenting about aid money which is a big chunk of your weyane govt. budget. Forget about the world bank just ask saudi how many of your sisters are working under terrible condition , these would love to share some of your 10.5 growth, owww I forget the world bank is talking about foreigners owned land .

Abel

Dear Selam,
I am just wondering how you did your banking diploma with out the basic economics,something went wrong here.
Forget the world bank, who should I count on, Higdef cadre?
Btw,what happened to the anti aid mantra? Higdef is openly lobbing for the 300 million+ EU handout? I am sure your rhetoric is just another reverse psychological game.

sara

Dear selam,
since you brought up some thing to do with AID and Israel, there is a report coming soon by UNICEF, about crimes against children, that is considering the state of Israel in the same category as BOKO HARAM- of course, the GOOD GUYS of the US are threatening the UN, that if it takes that decision it risks confrontation with the US congress. believe it or not , this is going to be the mother of all confrontations at the UN .
Israel has killed and continues to kill palestinian women,children and old people, but thanks to the americans they will stand on the side of crime against humanity and here no one seems at least voice against the US policies in the middle east and africa.
the whole middle east is burning simply because of that cruel US foreign policies, look to what is happening in syria, iraq,libya, people are dying in thousands just because of that cruel policies, and as you know we are not far from those countries.

haileTG

Selam Gheteb,

The recent meeting of the EU commissioners and their plenary presentations on ” EU development aid to Eritrea in the light of documented human rights abuses” [ this is the place I could find the full video is:http://www.eritreadaily.net/News2015/article201505271.htm#sthash.fGt91fh9.dpuf%5D had actually a thorough shaming session of the regime in Asmara. One by one, commissioners warned the EU against extending a hand to a regime ridden by total corruption and flagrant human rights abuses. Some even called for EU to consider what sanctions to apply against that regime let alone consider giving it aid. All that and more has been what transpired at the plenary session. The criticism was severe, unreserved and humiliating to the regime in a most fitting manner.

On your questions:

1 – The EU sure intends to “monitor” the aid and not give it directly. But most or all aid packages are designed in that fashion because they always raise the same questions. The shakedown happens at the detail implementation level. It would need contractors, suppliers and workers to implement that “monitored delivery” of the aid. The contract will be only given to PFDJ companies, suppliers would be 09 when needed (did you know the UN WHO purchased its 4X4s from Ambereb PFDJ] company in the past?), and finally a cheap NS labor is drafted as a workforce to complete the work. That is how every project had been shakedown. Oh yeah, there is a good deal of skimming there, in fact a fat deal. And the pecking order extends all the way to diaspora operatives.

2 – IA needs reason to arrest and doesn’t need it at the same time. He needs it to placate it for its operatives to make it easier to plant misinformation. And, he doesn’t need it at the same time because he can then forget about why he jailed G15 or refused to allow Naizghi be buried and knows that his operatives have already done the job of putting the vocal diaspora to sleep and who cares about those in Eritrea (they are not worth the space they live and breath in as far as he is concerned). So, it is a bit of both.

The good thing in all these is however the dedicated activists in the diaspora have made a terrific job in getting Eritrea’s true narrative across and the world has firmly caught up with him now.

Regards

Saleh Johar

Hi Gheteb,

I like your idea about catching cold and sneezing. You see, we would all be relieved if awate.com catches cold and drops dead. What we cannot tolerate is the PFDJ catching cold–but then, an immune entity cannot catch cold. Instead, it contaminates citizens with its deadly virus. Nah, let’s just try to kill awate.com; maybe this time around we can succeed.

tes

My friend Gheteb,*

Did you write, “…induced wild speculations about what will follow and has increased the attempt of trying to read the PFDJ’s tea leaf exponentially so much so that some are trying to connect it to EU..”?

Aha, very lovely dear Gheteb. You are so funny. If there is anyone who assume like what you did is DIA and then his worshippers.

Such tricks has gone for good man. Eritreans know what he has already done to his generals and civil servants. Business goes as usual with PFDJ.

Enough is enough to follow the wind. Eritreans are no more “WHITE CLOUD” **. The cloud is now very dark and heavy. Not only heavy rain, but hail will fall over PFDJ. The runoff produced will be strong enough to uproot and take away from the soils of Eritrea.

Just don”t waste your time conspiring. PFDJ has nothing left to be conspired.

tes

* An easy weapon for you.
** the philosophy of white cloud: an innocent mind is like a white cloud where any wind that comes can take to any direction. It has no resistance and is drifted by the wind. For a simple and meditiating life, to be like a white cloud brings peace. But Eritreans were forced to be drifted by any wind that comes. They were innocent. Now, PFDJ jurted that and they are saying, “what is the source of the wind?”

Amanuel

Hi Gheteb

You may be right the Eu aid package will materialise to nothing considering IA impatience which such processes but the regime operators can use it and corruption to boost the moral of the core supporters of PFDJ which is rock bottom at the moment. They can move the conversation from sanctions and UN human right council to EU aid package. That is a big step whether it materialise or not.

Corruption with in the regime has been very difficult to defend for most hard core supporters as it is not possible to blame it on USA or Wayane . I have several close friends and relatives on this category and it has been like, there is an expression in Tigriyna, “mot hutsuy” (ሞት ሑጹይ) for them. Specially when they come back from their visit to Eritrea.

The operators of the regime like both Yemanes know that the hard core supporters are always waiting to be feed from the mouth of the dictator like nestlings sensing that their mother is coming back to the nest. There fore, regardless of the Eu aid materialise or not or IA takes action against corruption or not the regime is using these issues to boost moral so its supports will stick with it for the time being nothing more just ምቅናይ. Harold Wilson once said ” a week is long time in politics”

You wrote “Helen Meles koboro junkie-in-chief. The woman can’t even read and write”. This shows your ignorance about Eritrean Martyrs. Helen Meles is living martyr who gave you independence. Tegadalit Helen, can move a nation with a single song, than you can change a single person with your thousands of trashy comments at AT. You don’t know the Eritrean Heroin to open your mouth.

You also wrote ” Can you honestly declare here that the Eritrean people are so happy and proud of their independence and that is why they are celebrating? It is just that they are not thinking.”
Your contempt to the Eritrean people is boundless!!
I must say you must be the most illiterate person in this AT forum. Please, go to school and learn your manners. You have no right to insult the Eritrean people.

Peace!

Hi Dawitom,

Thank you! This kid thinks he is smart because he can read and write, goodness! Please read every comment he wrote he has no clue.

Regards

Mizaan1

To Selam: since you have claimed that you barely know anything about the tewahdo orthodox church, I urge you to read a message from Asmara on Assenna, front page, titled ስርዓት ህግደፍ ንተዋህዶ ቤተ ክርስትያን ገንዘባ ክዘምት፥ ልኡኻት ናብ ኣመሪካን ካናዳን ኣዋፊሩ ኣሎ። ንምሕዳር ቤተ ክርስትያን ኣብ ክልተ መቒልዎ ኣሎ።
It is a very explosive message and that will be a big headache for the HIGDEFites. I will tell you this – the church in North America which is still following abune antonios has been the biggest thorn on HIGDEF, much more so than the opposition groups combined together. Basically, PFDJ wants the mobae money and that is why we have all this mess in the church. If you read the article, you will have an idea. Stealing church money is one of the biggest transgressions but PFDJ has no bounds.

selam

Dear Mizaan
I intend to stop commenting about religion because it is not my interest . Why would PFDJ take religious money , they have enough to waste. By the way I do not click to assena.

Kokhob Selam

Dear Selam,
you could’t free yourself from PFDJ venom. If you are ordering people to stop commenting in this democratic site, someone can imagine what you will do if this site is under you. That in itself is the character of PFDJ.

Read again what you wrote, who cares if religion is your interest or not? who cares Mum. Calm down lady!!

Mizaan1

Mahmud, what you said here makes perfect sense to me!

No Drama

Sami, I second your concluding remark. The worst thing about our gory dictator is not all the evil things that he has done to the nation and its people, it’s what he prevented them from achieving by frustrating their entrepreneurial stamina. His cheerleaders are ecstatic on his hallow serf-reliance dodge. Sure it’s good to have grand drive but knowing one’s bounds is the basis of wisdom. Ambition for which one has neither the foresight nor the aptitude is a crime if not a suicide mission. IA has committed serial crimes and is driving the nation on a perilous journey.

saay7

No Drama and Sami:

An excerpt about Eritrea from Africa Development Bank sourcing African Economic Outlook:

“Eritrea has faced considerable challenges over the years, including variable climate conditions. This has been compounded by restrictive economic policies, political isolation, a significant decline in remittances and scarcity of foreign exchange. Reflecting these factors, estimated real GDP growth for 2013 fell sharply to 1.1% from 7% the previous year and is projected to increase marginally to 1.9% in 2014. This growth will largely be driven by: copper production at the Bisha mine; the start of gold production at the Zara mining project in 2014; and continued exploration activity and investment in the mining sector. In the medium term, Eritrea sees further prospects in oil production, fisheries and tourism.”

Now, to hear the government apologists, Eritrea was minding its own business growing at 7% in 2012 (a year after Sanctions I were imposed), but then in 2013 (after Sanction II kicked in), the economy collapsed. It is all America’s fault. But the facts show that the Eritrean government froze the labor force in conscription for nearly a decade 2002-2014, and this is assuming that its verbal assurances that it has reversed its boneheaded indefinite conscription are correct. (Why didn’t it do this in 2003, in 2005, in 2008? Nobody is accountable so nobody is answering); never mind its hostile and monopolistic policy which chased away Eritrean entrepreneurs and discourages Foreign Direct Investment; never mind its decision to disenfranchise its own citizens. 1.1%, 1.9% annual growth when your population is growing at 3.2% annually means, in plain English, the country is regressing. For a government which has made “improving Eritreans qualify of life” its mission statement, it always ignores that quality of life is not just access to clean water, electricity, social services but also escape from abject poverty.

saay

haileTG

Selamat Awatista,

Here is heart and mind in action! Here is the meaning of Independence as depending on one another! Here is the meaning of organizing, one that is for a purpose and not for mindless beating the koboro in a land that doesn’t wont you and for a regime that doesn’t care for you. Here are Eritrean justice seekers, celebrating May 24 in the spirit of the martyrs who paid the ultimate price to realize it. dawit aloKa’do:)

I agree with all your approvals. In fact, there in no question that all of the credit goes to the organizers of that beautiful commemorative event for May 24. I personally don’t think those good people did that on behalf of an opposition organization nor do I believe theirs is the only one. The reality is that the solution to Eritrea’s problems is found on such like undertakings from one’s heart. No amount of appeasing to a misguided PFDJista nor any amount of sloganeering or T-Shirt press-printing opposition holds a solution. Actually, those are an extension, therefore integral part, of Eritrea’s problems. What we take, however big, lasts for the moment but what we give, however small, lasts for eternity. The act of being a brother’s keeper doesn’t have to be reserved for a special day alone, it should be a life long commitment. Many individuals and organizations already do that and they sure deserve our respect for it. PFDJ has no courage to do it for it knows it is the source of it all. Those who enslaved their mind to PFDJ do not have the courage to do that because they have parted ways with their heart’s calling and decided to serve the PFDJ mind. The opposition should fight the center ground by reaching out to those who need a little support to gain what they lost to the dictatorial regime. They shouldn’t hope to make head ways by repeating what everyone knows a thousand times. N’adgi zeykebedo, N’mets’an kebedo would be the natural response of those being traumatized by the current situation. If the opposition needs to win hearts and minds, the time is ripe to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. I hope the event we watched in the video above makes that point clearly.

Regards

tes

Dear haile TG,

I met most of the organizers in Bologna last year. They were the most active organizers of the demonstration against PFDJ Bologna festival. WIth some, I am continueing my contact.

They are very great and you too for bringing us this “heart-mind in action” highlight.

tes

Kokhob Selam

Dear tes,

I remember that, that was a wonderful contribution from you said. you have brought it even right in awate (ዝነ ኣድ ውዕሎ). please keep contacting them. that was the worst war PFDJ faced.

haileTG

Dear tes

Thanks. I hear a repeat of Bologna is planned in Geneva on 26th June. Are you in there too or busy with studies? Update please…

Regards

tes

Dear haile TG,

I would love to be part of this historical demo agains PFDJ human rights artocities. I am trying to to be there though my final research work is not allowing it. However, my friends from my area will be there for sure. We have discussed about it and they are ready.

tes

Amanuel Hidrat

Dear Hailat,

Thank you for bringing the positive activities of our youth. Remembering “our independence day” in the service of our Eritrean refugees rather dancing in the camp of PFDJ/YPFDJ is a true celebration. Wonderful, A true heart into a play. And your philosophical approach is working my friend. The mind without the heart is simply a show of arrogance, self-aggrandizement, or in short the mind that lives on past glory only. Thank you again.

Amanuel Hidrat

dawit

Dear Hailat The Great;

Yes I am still here. Thank you for posting something rare positive contribution from the oppositions camp on the celebration of Eritrean Independence. I have no problem how people celebrate their independence, doing good thing to fellow unfortunate Eritreans, collecting clothes or running a kitchen soup for the hungry. That is commendable by every Eritrean regardless of his/her political belief. What I hate about the opposition is encouraging hooliganism among our youth, to crash Eritrean festivals, firebombing Eritrean Community Centers, insulting Eritreans who want to celebrate their Independence or show their support to their government, insulting mothers, children who want to celebrate their independence the they like to celebrate, creating Eritreans not to rent a hall to gather and celebrate their festivals by spreading false rumors, accusing them as terrorist, vandalizing Eritrean Embassies, community centers etc and bragging about the vandalism adventures.

My dear Hailat, I am sure if those young Eritrean had approached their Eritrean Community members for contribution, they could have collected may 10 fold that they raised by themselves. I read a lot of post criticizing the Holidays Coordinating committees by those who don’t know how to organize and themselves disorganized. Yes PFDJ knows how to organize, they have the experience since the days of Liberation, and still continue after independence. The oppositions don’t know how to organize themselves, let alone to organize and lead the Eritrean people, even a decent demonstration against the Eritrean Government in any of the foreign capitals they reside. All their demonstration are full of vulgar slogans, about Eritrea and the leader. That is why the opposition did not made a dent in the last 15 years. Inventing new insults every other week will not bring a change to Eritrea. The Eritrean people will respond to those that respect them and their culture. If I was to consult the opposition, I would advise them to join YPFDJ and learn the abcs of organizing. Eritrean people will not respect anarchists, to turn over their independence to chaos. Hailat continue to influence to think with their heart and study their culture. Remembering their fallen comrades and continue singing did not start after independence. It was EPLF culture throughout the struggle. They did not sat to mourn their martyrs, for three days or forty days. After burying their fallen comrades, they had minute of silence before they continue their march to liberate the nation beating their kebero and kirar, dancing on their way to martyrdom, singing their last song ‘AwetNhafash’.
Therefore my friend Hailat, Eritrean should be free to celebrate their independence the way it suits them beating the kebero, dancing, drinking, running a soup kitchens, collecting clothes or sitting the whole day in silence drinking Starbuck Ethiopian coffee, it is their business. No one should dictate to them how they should celebrate their independence, and if people don’t know how to organize themselves, then don’t blame others who are organizing or those organized in their communities.
Brother Hailat, I wish you good luck in your efforts to turn Eritreans hearts to be considerate of their fellow brother and sisters, even when they don’t have the same political or ideological beliefs. After all we are all Eritreans! If we don’t respect one another don’t expect others to respect us. End of my Sermon for the Independent Season.
“Hade Lbi, Hade Hzbi” AwetNhafash!
With Best Regards to all Awatistas
dawit

haileTG

Selamat dawitom,

The things that ordinary people do isn’t really an issue for me. That is because there are as many and as different reasons why people do what they do, as the number of people themselves.My point is targeted at organized groups. PFDJ as an organized group is really destructive and will not be any good to those counting on it in the end. Individuals can organize as complex procession as weddings and funerals involving thousands of people. I don’t think that is a big achievement in itself for a regime that is in charge of a nation. The regime has indeed disabled communities into small money and political support holes on a wall throughout the diaspora. There are subtle reasons why the regime does what it does, people are responsible to see and judge for themselves from what they got at the end of almost 25 years delegation of their welfare to the group called PFDJ.

My approach here is aimed at opposition organizations and not individuals as such. The concept of care and its underlining principles and guiding philosophies could be just the winning formula they’re looking for. The trust ball doesn’t get rolling by mere meetings and political pronouncements. Political [opposition] organizations can manage complex network of authentic social care programs. The seed capital needed may not even be as big as the job may sound. Look at the people above; They called donor people and then had just to make time and transport the stuff to the location. At a level of organization, much bigger programs and public projects can be planned and implemented. The process is also self sustaining once it is properly set up and the ball is rolling.

The distraction from PFDJ would only persist during the early stages, but the process it self will neutralize it. There are ample evidences in Vegas and Boston and some other places. Again, community managing is grassroots formation, not only that but also a place where budding future politicians cut their teeth and learn early skills public relations and external political diplomacy.

Don’t count so much about PFDJ organizational skills, that is just not their thing. Calling people to gather for dance is not big deal and often they fail to do so if they don’t bring singers from home. So, you see dawitom, PFDJ is a parasitic organization and its purpose is minimal and doesn’t want Eritreans to grow into healthy and confident communities.

I don’t really give much to individuals’ behavior as supporters or opposers. Because people are emotional, unpredictable and have complex personalities, under such situation, only themselves are responsible as to what they do or not do. Organizations on the other hand are impersonal yet could work effectively with better vision and management (two things that are the antithesis of the very nature of PFDJ).

Regards

dawit

Selam Hailat;
Thank you for the sober response to my post. Yes it does not cost that much for civilized Eritreans to organize and find solution to their political and social problems. The only problem I envision is the presence of anarchists among them who encourage confrontation and hooliganisms by few misguided Eritreans or paid agents.

SenaiErtrawi

Selam HaileTG,
In my opinion, you really get to the point and then miss it 🙂

The thing you advice the opposition groups to do – “manage complex network of authentic social care programs”, it requires doing actual work and can only be done by an organization that is created and run by “real leaders”.

“real leaders” : they act first and ask you to follow them – call for meetings to tell you what they have done and why they have done it and ask for feedback or help. They can have good/communal incentives like the wellbeing Eritrea/Eritreans, or bad individual incentives – getting to power, fame, recognition . . . .

“toy leaders” : there is no action involved at all – it only requires having an acronym for an organization. All they want or salivate for is a hall in a hotel packed with audience, and a chairman seat and mic reserved for them. They don’t even want to work in organizing the event/meeting – they just want someone to organize it and invite them to sit on that chair with mic. Even if they are not invited, they will appear with a speech prepared. If they don’t get a chance to talk, they come home and rush to the computer to write bad things about the event . . .

Since it is so easy to be a “toy leader”, everyone wants to do it and thus our predicament.

So, dear Haile, the real problem is lack of incentives for “real leaders” who lead by action, first walk and then talk. It is not easy to do it and no one will do it unless there is a good communal or individual incentive. There won’t be any communal incentive anymore – the global drive for liberalization of economies has destroyed/weakened communal values in every society (an this applies for Eritreans as well). As for individual incentive, such as getting to power, very bloody and hard work to take it from our master monster.

But may be hopefully one day, you and me will reject individualism and show up in person to act and “manage complex network of authentic social care programs” beyond writing in awate forum with cyber identities 🙂

Every day that passes as by, and for years now, Dr Adanesh fed upto 900 children in Ethiopia refugee camps and provides other opportunities. Quite heros like Abba Mussye Zerai singlehandedly convinced Italy to offer to us its Air Force assets to transport Lampedusa tragedy bodies to Eritrea before PFDJ sent Yemane to screw up the process. Your point of gratification persuite is true and rife in the ranks of opposition. The two heroes I mentioned hardly disseminate their work to the public because it doesn’t have political component to it. It would be disheartening for many if you and me go and find yet another organization. My point is to the existing organizations to become relevant through AUTHENTIC and complex network of social care programs. How about the opposition in Ethiopia having women’s cooperative, childrens education, family re-union works and elderly support programs. In fact, they have none and all their work is based on mind and brain storming of future government for those who would survive the current onslaught. The same for those in diaspora. I am saying let’s use what it here, not go to set up new one’s. The latter is also gratification seeking by other means.

Regards

Bayan Nagash

Selamat HTG,

Let’s see how absurd the arguments being presented are between those who want to excuse the regime’s beyond overreaching hands of tyranny. The absurdist’s believe that occupying an embassy site is violent when the regime that they believe in knows nothing but violently solving anything that challenges its authority. Consider the following:

1. 1994: The overreach of the law of the
jungle on Jehovah Witness: “When Eritrea became an independent country in 1993, Jehovah’s Witnesses lost their fundamental freedoms. President Afewerki revoked their citizenship by Presidential Decree dated October 25, 1994, because the Witnesses did not vote in the 1993 independence referendum and they conscientiously object to military service http://www.jw.org/en/news/legal/by-region/eritrea/jehovahs-witnesses-in-prison/

2. 1994: 150 Eritrean Muslims were taken
in the dead of the night to not be seen or heard from: “Some of the Muslim imams and teachers arrested on 24-12-1994. Whereabouts still unknown source Eritrea’s Disappeared (http://www.ehrea.org/1991crime.php)

3. We all remember how the disabled Eritrean veterans were manhandled by the government in the early to mid-nineties.

4. Of course, the infamous arrest of the cabinet ministers

5. Endless imprisonment of independent Eritrean
Press

The above are just a drop in a bucket to the endless crimes this regime continues to commit. Yet, many apologists are more concerned about occupying embassies and breaking a picture of a dictator, talk about kwuEyekka bmanka kziHlekka bEdka. These are not just individuals, they are citizens trying to get the attention of the so called Embassies abroad, where the only place these Eritreans have a chance to have their voices be heard.

The whole comparison is so absurd that one does not know where to begin. Hitler didn’t just become a dictator of biblical proportions, unless and until the German public chose to support him unequivocally to a point of eradicating 5 million innocent human beings. If you consider the size of Eritrean population, the menace at home is well on his way to compete with Hitler in the history books.

Saleh Johar

Hi Beyan,
I like the the characterization of “The Absurdists”. It describes them perfectly.

Bayan Nagash

Ahlan Saleh,

Indeed, you know it is absurd when
someone is more concerned about collateral damage than human life. Not only
that, but also when the reaction (irrespective of how peaceful or not) to
the unjustified human loss becomes the topic of conversation as opposed to the causes of it. This is how absurd The Absurdist arguments are. I wasn’t thinking it when I jotted the note, but your isolation of “The Absurdist” reminded me of Albert Camus’s book that I read long ago, which deals with the notion that we are seeing with the Eritrean Regime’s apologists who seem to have no bounds even as it reaches to its absurdist heights – they just keep on delving deeper into their morally bankrupt arguments with no light at the end of the tunnel.

In the “Myth of Sisyphus”, Caumus (1955) explores the idea of “man’s search for meaning”, axiology, and the ontological concepts that accompany it. The absurdity of the universe becomes clearly delineated when Camus draws a parallel from mythology of the Greeks in which Sisyphus was doomed
“to repeat forever the same meaningless task of pushing a boulder up to a
mountain, only to see it roll down again.” Similarly, the apologists keep on arguing even as their arguments seem to have neither the teeth to bite nor soundness to it as the minute they utter it, it just rolls back down like “the boulder up…a mountain”, you can see it crumbling by the soundness and moral high ground of the counter arguments, which demolish it to pieces.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Myth_of_Sisyphus

Semere Andom

Dear Brother Beyan:
All these are nice summations of the “crimes” of PFDJ and your dubbing them absurdities is true to your Asmarino character, OK, OK Akria character of being kind to those who are cruel
But one thing is missing and I am with dawit here, were are your evidences sir, otherwise this is like the myth that Eritrea is the number one coffee exporter, that I single handedly busted and earned the respect of the most respected. I provided evidences that impressed the most evidence obsessed person and it is not IA, it is not DIA, it is not even PIA, it is Saay. Then I “sequeled” that with “znegese negusna” and boy I had him, not IA, not DIA, not even PIA, Saay. But now he stopped watching EriTV and is acting up, he just told me PIA does not have a single original idea, but he did not provide evidences.
So I ask you any evidences that PFDJ arrested G-15, any video showing PFDJ raiding the houses of the G-15.
Same goes to the disabled in Maihabar incident, videos, please, did EriTV report it, if you do not watch it, I watch it diligently and it did not, therefore, no evidences.
The Johova Witness, please evidences again, and am sure you cannot provide one because I know this issues as I am and I was a Johova Witness before they knew they were Johova Witnesses.
Last and for sure least, Muslim imams this is bela below from the heart of Keren, it did not happen, I was there during the said time, I was in Keren when became Keren in 1993, before that it was just a mountain, gobo. So do not insult the forum, please furnish it with evidences. Just because you get a license from the moderators you should not ignore evidences. But not all is hopeless for your, watch EriTV once a day and you will develop the habit of providing evidences.
EriTV a day keeps the Woyane away

saay7

Hi Cousin iSem:

Why are you dragging me to the discussion, dude?:) Rule 1 in discussion forum: when 4-5 people pile on and try to show that 1 guy is wrong, then he immediately appears as a sympathetic figure. So it is best to let one Awatista deal with Dawitom. Two at most:) So stop piling on.

Bayan, and what is it Voltaire said about absurdities? “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.”

The attack on Mesfin Hagos in London was reported by awate.com (as part of its chronology of the reform movement.) What needs to be remembered about it is not just that Dehai was calling on the gov to deal with the opposition the way Gaddaffi dealt with his opposition “before it is too late” (assassination squads?) but that the official mouthpiece of the Eritrean government, Dimtsi Hafash, praised the hooligans who threw chairs at Mesfin Hagos for their “defense of the nation”, etc. Link to the Chronology:

Cousin Sal:
After I pulled you from your retirement, now am forgetting to include, ps, sal it was a joke 🙂
yea, we do not want to make dawit the Lizzie Bordon of awate forum 🙂

Bayan Nagash

Hey Sal,

The true believers have no qualms about doubt. There is no inkling doubt in their conviction that their version of government is always right – during war or during peace, it matters not. Civil disobedience is turned on its head when someone opposed their version of governance, they would throw chairs, tables, anything within reach.

However, hope should never be given up upon. Where there is that inkling hope, I guess trying whatever at our disposal (no rocks, chairs, or menQerQer here – only enlightening words) might do the trick.

So, in such spirit, here is a clip from Selma, the movie that might trigger a chip in that brain that is in ceaseless state of haywire, which might get unhinged. Let’s give it a shot, after all, it is only 50 seconds, which I trust would not be a challenge to one’s attention span:

Selamat Semere A,
I am not sure if ironies, satires, and absurdities are in the loyalists parlance. But, you definitely made my day, my guffawing can be heard way across the room that my wife was wondering if I was in a sound state of mind . Remember, Esu’s answer when he was asked about Dawit’s disappearance: I am paraphrasing here: “if I don’t know who Dawit is how would I know where he is…” Talk about absurd philosophy at its best no bounds to absurdity in the world of Hgdef. If they did not see it with their naked eyes it did not happen. Most of all, if EriTV did not report it, by golly, it couldn’t have happened. You just gotta love them!

Thanks Semere A.

Semere Andom

Dawit:
Like every comment this one is based on a lie.
Your dishonesty of who imported or created insults in the Eritrea culture, it is PFDJ, who attacked veteran fighters with chairs when they dissented You told lies about the opposition encouraging hooliganism, it is you guys, your side that teaches hooliganism starting from before independence, like telling people to just give them money even by stealing, “sewrawi sirqi” It is you guys who by using the few successful diaspora youth to recruit the failures of YPFDJ to supplant the old PFDJ in hooliganism and brute to make up for the failures in their host countries.
It is you guys who called everyone who asked a question agame. I support and still do what the tegadali had to do after burying their dead, they remembered their fallen in silence but you guys dance on the graves of the dead now, so do not even try to compare yourself with the tegadalai, you are a betrayer of their promise. I am not surprised about your comment given your implement is lies and nothing else.
About accusing of terrorism, it was also your side’s failed attempt to frame the opposition as terrorist but that allegation turned around and became the reason for sanctioning you.
As Sal said, your leader has no honor and his supporters have no honor too
If you live without honor, you will die devoid of it

Isn’t managing freedom harder than imposing dictatorship? Freedom by definition is when people are free to act on initiative but perfecting that over time to meet their needs. you’re also using 2010 videos of sanctions demo. I can guarantee you that such will not happen in 2015. Did you know that all petition drives of PFDJ failed to attract more than few hundreds in the last couple of years?

The beoble have moved on:)

dawit

You are right Hailat, the Libyan beoble are learning it the hard way after Brother was murdered. “There is time for every thing”. if given a free choice the beoble of Libya, would have preferred peace and stability under dictatorship than the chaos under freedom. But unfortunately they didn’t had that choice. Freedom was dictated to them by outsiders, the freedom for war, death and distraction of their nation. What a choice of Freedom?.
Cheers

haileTG

hey dawita..what’s up with the censor? ጀሚሮምኻ ድዮም?..haha:) Anyway, are you saying the Eri people are faring better now? Why are they saying farewell to the country then? Do you know that your home will be peaceful and stable if empty out all your family members (or they decide to leave you because of your dictatorship)? ካልእ ንገረና እምበር እዚኣ’ስ በጥ ኢልኩም ሙቱ፡ ጽቡቕ ገይርኩም ከተዕርፉ’ያ። 🙂

Regards

Semere Andom

dawitom:
And that is how the ghedli generation did to HS and Dergi and history will remember everything, the cowardice, the hooligans and the murders.
Thanks for helping history by keeping this documents,

dawit

You are welcome dear SEM. Genzebka
Are you lamenting for the fall of HS and dergi? Don’t worry you have the woyane replacement in Ethiopia

Semere Andom

dawit;
Welll, I am telling you that Eritrean youngsters of that Eritrea did what this young you hate so much and you want to sink them to the sea are doing. Put other way these young men you so much abhor are following their “ayatat” when fighting tyranny. And only an abused mind can take my comment as lamenting the fall of HS and Dergi, besides I never said both HS and Dergi and I belong to the same nation.

Amanuel

Hi dawit
Are you complaining? I think you have short memory. Who started throwing chairs in meetings? Regarding respecting culture. Do you believe PFDJ respects our culture? Remember Naizgi Kflu (rip). In our culture we respect the dead and don’t deny a plot of land for the body. Please dawit get real and don’t try to insult the intelligence of the readers of this forum. At least try to back up your claims with facts.

Hi dawit
this happened in 2013. And when did PFDJ members throw chairs at opposition meetings? In 2001. So the activities who storm the embassy learned it from you guys. The only language you understand is force and aggression. That is why they are speaking in your language.

dawit

Hi Amanuel,

Bela-Below is not a proof bring your evidences from 2001

Otherwise Please Amanuel get real and don’t try to insult the intelligence of the readers of this forum. At least try to back up your claims with facts!.

Amanuel

Hi dawit I am proven right you defiantly have short memory. Unfortunately 2001 was pre you tube but I was there personally when members of PFDJ threw chairs at a meeting called by Mesfin Hagos in London in 2001. It is a public knowledge dawit. I think you live in different world.

Semere Andom

Hi Amanuel:
I assure you that dawit would have been one of those who threw chairs given his propaganda comments here and throwing chairs did not happened once it happened many times, the two memorable ones were the one in USA on Haile Menekrios was introduced as ambassador and dawit shouted ex-ambassador and one was in London.
dawit is just repeating DIA evidences “qolle” robotically

dawit

Amanuel
‘Aboy Hadgu balom ynadoo? Please refer to saay for the correct Tigrigna proverb.
“It is a public knowledge”, but no proof, it happened pre Youtube!
Amanuel: Ok if you insist for proof, ‘I was there and the chair flew over my head and landed on my head busting my forehead, and I have my scar to prove it!
dawit: Your Honor following the eyewitness testimony, I rest my case.

Semere Andom

dawitom:
actually in Eritrea we say “aboy fekadu, aboy hadgu” is used in your other country. Just some help until saay gets back:-)

Fanti Ghana

Hello Semere,
Wae! ayteTabiqelna. niHnawun aboy fekadu ina nible. but dawit may have a third country who knows.

HTG,
It is a real ping pong play on the show. Only this time, dawit is the ball. The first serve came from Abi, Saleh smashed it back, Fanti gave it a soft spin, and the pin pong continued, with the ball flying over the net several times back and forth.

SEM,
What the difference ‘fekadu, hadgu’ both of them rhyme. Tigrigna is not my first language, it is Tigre at home and Amharic in the play ground and English at school. That is why I referred you to the expert. Nevertheless you got the message through Hadgu. .

ghezaehagos

Hello All,

Aboy google baelom kamzhbru….

“About a dozen members, thought to belong to the ruling Eritrean PFDJ party (People’s Front for Democracy and Justice), started to shout, scream and throw chairs when Mr Hagos stood up to speak.”

The hooligans were dubbed, affectionately, “the chairmen of that year…”
Ghezae

AboyTesfay

Ato Haile, thank you for the clip. The video deserve front page on awate.com.

Mizaan1

May 24, 2015 – My observation at the park (I can’t write as much as Tes and graphically as he does) but I thought I try to give you a glipmse. It is not the whole picture, and it is a disservice but I will do it better next year as I was not prepared to do this at all.

There were so many young people ages 18 and below and even more so for ages say 10 and below. I would say the proportion of younger people (18 and below) to the older people (40 and above) was easily 2 to 1 in my estimation.

There were people handing out fliers that read ‘Jesus is the Savior.’ This were just a handful but their fliers were all over the park. Many of the women had a flag somewhere in their self, head bandanna, scarf, netsela, dress, wrist band or somewhere. Most of the men were idly walking around and some joking about someone else. A lot of the ghedli generation men and women were in the dance floor the whole time and most of the songs were EPLF revolutionary songs. I saw numerous men wearing T-Shirts with IA disfigured face and other anti-dictatorship slogans. The group I was sitting with had 6 or 7 women and a couple men. Particularly, the women were furious about the guys wearing opposition T-Shirts. srah zeyblom, n men eyom zikawemu zelewu. One woman referred to the young guys from Shimelba as kalay zegatat.

A good friend of mine whom I hadn’t see in several years showed up by where I was out of nowhere with his T-Shirt that had a balance (mizan, hahahaha) and it described the unjust system we have at home. I couldn’t see it exactly as he was furious over a guy who said “edey kiresih aydelin eye” when he tried to greet him Eritrean style as that other guy was with other people whom my friend knew and greeted my friend conservatively. He was upset saying “ezi terbab si naay edey keytershani kibleni, anjal, ane egedid nezi selam ziblo” and it went on for a good 10 minutes. I ran into a couple friends walking around the park. One said he was offered a t-shirt and I know he is a die hard opposition but he told them ‘adi eqo kikeyid yideli eye’ and he is actually already looking for tickets. He is looking for a wife. I told him, good luck buddy. I wish you a pretty wife and a good life.

Most people looked very indifferent as to what was going on, either just aimlessly walking around or just sitting and having coffee and food. The women I was with, none of them got up even for a minute. The mood was generally subdued. But I can tell you that Eritreans are multiplying in the diaspora and that is the one good news I can report.

sara

Dear Mizan,
the eritreans multiplying in diaspora really caught my attention, indeed it is true and it’s a fact many more are on their way already. if you cant beat them join them has been the prevailing motto of many eritreans specially since 2009.
you are Mizan and am sure you know how to best deal with Mizan, and like wise many of those moving west.

Mizaan1

Hi Sara, it was indeed a blessing to see so many young kids, super cute and lovely just going wild on the park running up and down. All the kids were getting along pretty well even though their respective parents do not get along because of politics. If we stopped politicizing independence day, we could go a long way towards reconciliation. The regime should not be involved. All members of the city should organize it, everybody should be a invited and voted into the organizing committee so that it would be celebrating independence day, which belongs to Eritreans and not to PFDJ.

Saleh Johar

Hi Mizaaan1,
I have a thought: don’t you think by calling for the depoliticizing of independence day celebration is in fact politicizing it?

I am sure we do not ask people to celebrate Eid of Qdus Yohannes together–we let those who feel like celebrating do what they please. I was never asked to coordinate how I celebrate occasions and if I feel like joining a celebration, I just do it. But when it comes to celebrating independence day, we are inundated by calls to coordinate and to participate and plan the type of celebration, etc. Why don’t we just treat it like any other day? Why do we feel the need to celebrate it in unison when we do not do that with other occasions? I think the occasion is already politicized enough by the PFDJ, and that is the reason for the yearly discussion about it. Just food for thought.

teweldino

Hi SJ,

I think they are trying to turn the day into Christmas with the in-laws.

Saleh Johar

Teweldino,
To change something into another, one has to define the original. How do Eritreans celebrate their feasts and other occasions? If I am reversing anything to the unusual, I stand corrected. Now you tell me how we celebrate our events 🙂

About a year ago, casually (without any prior plan), I asked an ex tegadalay friend of mine (some one who spent from 1976 – 1991 in the fighting forces of the EPLF) to meet up the next day to go to the Martyrs event being held by the local mahberecom. He politely turned it down saying that he always held his own memorial in private. And that we could schedule to meet some other time instead. That left a permanent imprint in my mind to this day.

Saleh Johar

HaileTG,

If this discussion displeases some friends, you are to blame. Okay, I see you are nodding, you agree! Fine 🙂

I am against regimenting our civilian lives into a military type of being. People get all too emotional when sensitive issues are raised. I will do just that since you will take all the blames.

1. Why do we stand one minute for remembering our martyrs?

I have no problem with that, in fact it is good to remember what you sacrificed. By why is it that someone shouts “TeTenqeq! seT bel” as if dealing with soldiers. I don’t like the military culture that has seeped into the civilian culture.

2. How do different Eritreans remember their dead?

The Christians have tezkar and Muslims have Sedeqa. For Muslims, you remember your fallen heroes by prarying for their souls and giving alms on their behalf. That is the culture and the norm that we know. For Christians, a FitHat is done and solemn prayer, preferably in the presence of a priest. Then you give alms or contribute in money or kind to the church, “Mttswat”. The candle is common in Christian culture, that is why you do not see many Muslims in the candle vigil that has become all too common. Who decides how we morn and how we remember our heroes (in fact our all our dead)? The governments? Traditions? Religious understanding? Who makes the laws? And do we judge people based on the laws (which in time become normal) that are not of our making?

3. Celebration coordinating committee.

I am sure you have seen it on the government media of so-and-so organized the Eid holidays. Eid is a religious Muslim holiday, and no one (including you HaileTG 🙂 has nothing to do with organizing how Muslims should celebrate, and I (Saleh Johar) have nothing to do with how my Christian compatriots celebrate Mesqel. That being the core religious function, what follows, in terms of parties, having fun, and congratulating each other is a national value and it was there for ever–and I believe it will continue that way. Officials of the government have nothing to do with religious holidays or activities as long as they do not violate the norm (can’t say the law because there isn’t any)

4. Do we know each other’s cultures?

We are very ignorant of our combined (Eritrean) national culture, and the PFDJ made it worse. They are building a nation devoid of any value and lacking any autonomy or space for a normal civilian life–they teat all citizens as soldiers.

I would have liked to give you more examples, but that would be enough for today. If you think this is worth discussing, I am more than willing to pursue it.

Mizaan1

Selamat Saleh,

Every single one of your four items was started by none other than sewra ertra or perhaps EPLF. Look at number 1 and the hypocrisy that comes with it in Eritrean celebrations. People stand and remember the fallen and then they jump up and down dancing. If you have to do zikre semaetat, you have to do it all out. Really remember them and do sour searching rather than stand for one minute and dance for four hours nonstop. You already know the answer to number 2. Nobody should tell anybody on how to remember the dead. People have traditions, long held and they should be free to follow those traditions. The one minute stand up is a good way to keep semaetat in our minds but it is over used and misused. That is not a Christian nor Muslim and I bet nor Kunama or any other Eritrean culture so I don’t see too much problem with that making it a national tradition with people choosing to opt out of it and do it however way they like, say in a conference opening ceremony. Number 3 -The celebration coordination committee awahahadit shimagle baalat- that is all about money. All the proceedings go to the embassies. They need loyal people who will do work on the ground and try to organize a profitable organization. That is an EPLF creation in my understanding. But I am afraid I haven’t seen a committee organization religious holidays. For number 4, well how did we celebrate independence before independence? We did not. Independence day celebration, PFDJ style doesn’t match the Tigrinya culture, I am not sure about the other cultures. If you saw my description at the top of this thread, you will see that the celebration doesn’t resemble like anything for Tigrinya speaking (or highlander Eritreans). So as long as it is neutral and not offensive to any other culture, any sort of celebration is okay by me. Quite frankly, pre-independence, I didn’t even know we had 9 ethnicities and what and how they live. Now everybody has some idea, maybe not intimately but a little bit of all cultures. So I think accusing PFDJ of not introducing Eritreans and doing worse than its predecessors is at best ill-informed.

Saleh Johar

Mizaan1,
I agree with you on all, the awahahadti beAalat are active in Eritrea where religious ceremonies are turned into partisan rallies and wild koboro night–all by design.

True, most confused behaviors were started during the revolution era, but the society would have been freer from it had not what continued after 91.

We are on the same length on everything you said except the “nine ethnic groups” social re-engineering that I do not subscribe to–but let’s keep it away from this topic.

Thank you

Mizaan1

Thanks Saleh, I thought I may have screwed up some of those points but I am glad we are in agreement mostly. Honestly, I always ask myself where did we get this culture of excessive dancing? I think you and I probably even agree at a deeper level.

I always confuse one issue and that is the legacy of ghedli. Out of shear frustration, sometimes I blame ghedli for everything. But I think you lightly touched on what I truly believe deep down. The culture of ghedli should have ended in 1991. I will never call a 75 year old woman ‘ati sebeyti hilefi.’ That is a little example.

I am trying to avoid delving too much into this as it is not a popular thing to pick up on but the primary reason why TPLF was able to be successful post 1991 was it quickly transfigured and dived into the 21st century with a lot of courage. The Dedebit culture was left for historians to make a career out of. By the same token, the Sahel culture should have been left for the Saay’s to dissect and present it to the public for history pedagogy. The torch should have been passed and we would not have been in this mess. We have a lot of problems not to mention the social re-engineering you mentioned. When I see Tigrinya highlanders in a Kunama band, that speaks volumes to me. There are no Kunama people who can be in a cultural program?

The ghedli culture was effective in medda (I wouldn’t go as far as calling it good) and it brought us liberation (not yet independence) but as we all can see, all it produced was disaster after disaster in civilian life.

Let me finally briefly address one question you asked me about the politicization of independence day. Americans celebrate July 4th in their own houses however the heck they want. I usually go to a former professor of mine’s house, in fact, I have been doing this since 2003 and we eat, drink, and walk a couple blocks to watch the fire works. Eritreans should adopt their own specific ways of celebrating independence day. This may seem contradictory to what I said before but until we refine this to the individual way of celebrating, one thing we could do is just see independence day for what it is – it belongs to all Eritreans and not to PFDJ only. Since our people still like to congregate and dance together, then we the opposition should have a say because like I mentioned earlier, the vast majority of the people I saw at the park would be like is it PFDJ or PDFJ?

Saleh Johar

Mizaan1,

For me, celebrating independence day feels like the Tigrinya “Mot Htsouy” (ሞት ሕጹይ)

haileTG

Hi SGJ

Your complaint is noted …haha:-) Now for my turn:)

Most children, by and large, try to please or live up to the expectation of their parents or guardians. Not so with adults. The latter decides what is good for themselves. They judge situations and weigh their options. They take an action that they consider serves their interest better.

If you invite me to your home for a meal and also insult my intelligence during my stay there, then I wouldn’t honor your invitation and will not show up. I have no issues with you having a meal gathering with whomever you wish or for whatever purposes. Just don’t count on my attendance. However, if you invite me for the same event, for cordial and respectful gathering, I will be there. And what’s more, I will reciprocate in kind with whatever I know best.

I personally don’t frequent PFDJ gatherings for the sole purpose not wishing to have my intelligence insulted by the things they say and do in those gatherings. If my family member wishes to attend regardless or even agreeing with it (or having different opinion from mine), that is well and good and I wouldn’t obstruct them from doing so. I am happy that they enjoy the way they see it fit.

Many people in the diaspora attend as a show of living up to some standard. The PFDJ accuses notable people who don’t show up, as opposition! To me, even showing up isn’t a support in real sense of the word. How does a person who pays to enjoy live music, food and drink be considered to be a supporter? That is a customer. The only side kick PFDJ gets out of that is to plaster their pictures in public media in order to be construed as political support. Once the people step out of that place, save for the few operatives, it doesn’t even see them till the same happens next time.

I consider this immature on both sides. No need for PFDJ to tell something that we and itself know to be a lie, and no reason for the people to depend on PFDJ to do something they can do for themselves with pride. I don’t need to expect the PFDJ to tell me when and how I can provide for my social needs. And I have neither the time nor the ear for it to insult my intelligence with CIA this or Woyane that while at it. Fortunately, I grew up and have no child like tendency to do things to please a dominant other. Sadly, our people have not yet got the stage where they can interact with the regime in an equal and adult like manner. They have no independence of thought to stand up in the meetings and tell PFDJ they need to make a 1 min prayer for victims of various tragedies. Yet, sport bandannas and talk and exchange in with each other in manners only expected from those decades younger.

The video I shared wasn’t unique (in fact AT has once reported about similar aid to refugees in Yemen). But that is what grown ups do. They decide what to do and where to go in a manner beneficial to them one way or another (good deed is beneficial). Going to booze and party and some koboro slapping might be their thing, but they can’t kid anybody that they do it for anyone (not even PFDJ). In fact, in my view, they are using PFDJ to hide from their responsibility and PFDJ is using them to cover up its misdeeds. No need to meet such individuals half way, nah..they need to grow up first (and doesn’t seem it gonna happen soon). Eritrean communities are the most impoverished of all migrant communities. They have NOTHING to bestow on their young. They failed themselves and they have mostly lost their kids to quick assimilation into host cultures. A bandanna sporting woman who tells me Eritreans in Shimelba are second citizens or a man who retorts of not wanting to have their hands dirtied by shaking their brother’s are morons to me. And nothing would make me feel more idiotic than having to share a dance floor with them.

I get your cultural and religious approach too, but it takes two to tango.:-) I don’t think there is the maturity needed in those places to consider such issues.

Regards

Ted

Hi Mizan, first Happy Independence Day to you and all. I am glad you went regardless of your political stand in our Eritrean issue. Let me tell you my version of independence day celebration.. It was spectacular, that is what you expect When uninhibited kebero junkies get together for special day of the year.In the hall, Politic seem to take a back door seat, opposition or not with their wives and teenage children mingling and dancing their hearts out. Like no worries in the world, we all jump up and down and do the Kuda with hall full of sweating junkies. The next day was for kids, It was equally amazing with soccer games and coffee, the park was full of kids growing faster than hydrophobic plant every year was hard to identify who is who. The take home message is some opposition have figured out where Eritrean’s people heart is. For me, it is wise and excellent start. Our independence is equally belong to all Eritrean, not for PFDJ or the Gov. Regardless who organized it, those opposition figures participating( i sure they use their heart) made a good impression in the community. This kind of participation can restore trust which has been eroding for decades. In a few years the opposition will be on the stage with equal footing with the PFDJ organizers. Let’s own what is ours, Eritrea independence as the product of all Eritreans sacrifices.

Also Let’s pray for People like SA:-) on the opposite side of the spectrum, who terrorize and patronize Eritreans going to independence celebration with vulgar words and condescending attitudes. It is Very very bad thing when some one tells you what you should and shouldn’t do.

Mizaan1

Ted, thank you for sharing your story of 5/24. I am glad it was fun for you and your city people, young and old. I agree with you that we should bite the bullet, take our kids and families to the park and have them interact with their fellow Eritreans, no matter what the stance. It is a one day occurrence and we should deal with the PFDJ organizers. But I do support for people to peacefully oppose and send their messages. Instead of a disfigured IA picture, I would use say, “ALL ERITREANS ARE EQUAL AND DESERVE THEIR OPINIONS TO BE HEARD.” “ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS SHOULD BE RELEASED.” “NATIONAL SERVICE SHOULD NOT BE INDEFINITE.” “GOVERNMENT – HANDS OFF RELIGIONS.”

So have a big sign on your t-shirt like those and socialize with your people. This makes you more credible because you are even tempered and you are not being overly provocative. You may in fact find sympathizers, the followers of you for tomorrow.

However, the main thing I was trying to hit on was the disparity I observed on the people at my park. Some were overly disgusted by the people with slogans in their t-shirts and others were overly digusted by the older men and women dancing while it was time to assess and mourn the young who are perishing all over the Mediterranean sea and the Sahara Deseret.

If these people with diverging views were left on their own with a power vacuum, would we have a civil war? To what extent? When and how would it stop? Those are the kind of things that were flashing in my mind that day.

selam

Dear Mizaan
Do not you think people specifically these diaspora need to interact with each other and socialize more and do the politics other day. I meanwe can not afford to be divided about one day that is may 24. At this day it is the Abyssinian fundamentalists cry fool and look back fighting and killing Eritreans was bad . Nothing less and nothing else we celebrate and they cry fool. On this day we should double abour story books like saleh johar ‘s book. We should introduce saling our historybooks toour children.

selam

Dear Ted
I am happy that you have a good time with all Eritreans. The crazy angry bird people should go and celebrate ethiopian holiday because that is what they want. Let them know that Eritrea is above DIA and also tigray based crazy lunatics. Any one that obeject may 24 is a lunatic who lost his salon on the time of dergi defeat.

saay7

Sami:

I wish you would contribute more often so those of us hobbyist/amateurs can take a back seat to the pros. I hear from Eritrean businesspersons/economist like you and their message is “never mind the world: if only you knew how far behind Eritrea is in comparison to Africa and how every year the gap widens.” Any there is no chance things will change because the Eritrean president keeps saying “we never made a mistake” or places Eritrean mediocre development within the context of an environment (war, sanctions, youth exodus) that HE had a lions share in creating and sustaining.

Now. On Southern Africa. I wasn’t looking at a one year forecast but that, over the last 5 years and next 5 years, relative to East and West Africa, it’s growth is slower. But then it is more difficult to sustain high growth for middle income countries than low income countries.

Refer to image attached:

saay

Pass the salt

Selamat
I wonder if we are reading too much into this. What Isaias said isn’t really such a big deal. Perhaps what attract attention is that he is so censored, so scripted and so incapable of acknowledging the tiniest mistake that when he seemingly makes a minor concession, it becomes a headline. Besides, he is someone who loves to throw vague statements so he lingers in the spotlight. Last year he mentioned the drafting of the constitution vaguely and we spent the rest of the year wondering ‘what do you mean? you mean new from scratch? incorporating to the existing? what’s that mean exactly?’ He gave us deaf ears until finally his media asked him to clarify where he said the existing const is dead, people will be appointed who should have answers, other than that he is not going into nitpicking. ናብ ቋይቂ ክኣቱ ኣይደልንየ
Conclusion: this is another speech on another year. To me the biggest surprise on his speech was the fact that he made no mention of the constitution, something his media has been bombarding us about.

sabri

Dear Awatistas,

I agree the one that is eye catching in his speech is his talk about corrupted officials. I believe this is about his power and security. When his power was really threatened by G15 he empowered some of his generals, colonels and cadres inorder to crush any dissenters. In return they got their freedom to do anything they want to do. Remember Eritrea was governed by these few generals right after the G15 are arrested. Their abuse has no limitation. The president allowed them inorder to secure his power. However, it is known one day he will throw them away. But he has to create another more secured power base before he take any action against them. It seems after 14 years it is time to take action now. Perhaps, he has secured another power base? Time will tell.

haileTG

Selam Sabri, nice to see you back:)

That is an interesting way of putting it in perspective. The question is though who do you think is the potential power base? I would have thought that such process is inherently a diminishing return scenario (i.e. circulating power bases in such a drastic fashion). Also, wouldn’t it be harder to neutralize the generals than the civilian officials? Because the generals would have an armed power base as opposed to the civilian officials such as ministers and senior cadres. How do you see it? Regards

sabri

Selamat Hailat,

Thank you. Yeah the question is who is the potential power? My assumption is this. Powerful countries in the west are talking reengagement with the government. They expect some kind of reform from pfdj. Issayas has already promised to make a new constitution. His advisor Yemane said they are working to limit the military service. Particuary the later one is important for the west because they want to stop huge immigration from Eritrea. With this new arrangement he may create new power base within the existing structure of pfdj. We will see. Anyway as I said this is just my assumption.

regards,
sabri

dawit

Dear Hailat The Great,
I know you question is directed to sabri, but let me interject until sabri gathers his/her reply. I don’t think the army generals have special power base. Remember Forto, the man may have thought that he had a base when he left his barrack at the end he discovered that he was alone. “End of the movie”. Actually PIA must have expanded his power base by arming the militia or the people’s army and EDF are Sawa generation who dream to dance with PIA. The only thing expanding in the opposition camp is the derogatory terminologies to describe PIA and Eritrea, and the Eritrean ‘beoble’.
Regards

haileTG

hey dawit..reply pending indisqus..

T..T.

Hi all,

So, at long last Isayas is able to read the window decals (reading “We trust our corrupt officials”), whose prints facing out from inside with the intention to get noticed by the public. The public have had to comply only thereby corrupting the corrupt officials with money for TV, furniture, house, etc. The window decals also read, “You don’t pay, you don’t get served.”

So, Isayas is telling the world, now, that he wants to flush out all corrupt officials. Surely, they were corrupt but now after they got what they got through bribes, they have become mature and caring in serving the public. The question that every Eritrean asking is: why now? If that is true, the threat to flush out the corrupt officials should be accompanied by salary adjustments.

For sure, those to be flushed out have angered Isayas because they are not any more abusing the power. No abuse of power means pro-the-people and against the regime.

As a matter of fact, these ex-corrupt or the would-be flushed out officials were made to abuse power and become corrupts because they were under paid. Yes, they took the low paying public offices for dignity and the privilege of abusing the power. But once they got what they needed, they started to become lesser abusers and lesser blind supporters of the regime. That, lesser blindness, angered Isayas as well the less abusing effect reduced the number of disgruntled public, which means lesser turns of the public to Isayas.

You may say sounds unreasonable. And, I would say, it is tricky to understand this time the games of Isayas. A story of a Sudanese official may help to clarify the tricky facts about the game played this time by Isayas.

This Sudanese official appeared on TV and told the viewers that he got what he had to get through corruption. He claimed that he cleansed himself through prayers and alms to the poor. He confirmed to the viewers, no more corruption. He added, why corruption when he had more than he needed. So, he called on the public to elect him because in his second term he was ready to serve them honestly and truthfully.

In a corrupt world, the new intake of officials is only meant to continue the prevalent pattern of corruption and to ensure the public officials are blind supporters of the regime. Therefore, Isayas’s action of flushing out the old corrupts without solving the root cause of the problem is just like increasing the population of hyenas to serve his anti-people regime.

selam

Dear T..T
Yes you nailed it perfectly. May be he want to make some people rich and the old puppet run to prison so he can get some news coverage or 03 like.

T..T.

Hi Selam,

You got that right! One puppet out, another in to serve him. Yet, the outgoing puppets must be medically and psychologically safe before Isayas provides them with crime clearance. Otherwise, in their state of insane minds they might start uncovering the truth, where Isayas is the master mind taking the lion’s share of what they were getting. Of course, if Isayas intends to bring shame on them and their families, they will not have option other than returning with same.

Those with no clearance may face their victims. BTW, since crimes of bribery include the receiver and giver, Isayas may also victimize non-cooperating business owners. If so it goes, it is going create a ground for him (Isayas) to kill two birds with one stone. And if those who were immersed in corruption by fear of punishment, may stand up to him (as capo of corruption) warning Isayas through their family members abroad and putting him on notice by quoting the old adage that goes, “He who seeks vengeance must dig two graves: one for his enemy and one for himself.”

No Drama

Selamat Hzbi Awate,

By way of introduction, I go by the nickname NoDrama. I am a regular reader of this website and, until recently, I was just that… a reader. When Saay decided to unearth an old dehai survey that I was part of, I couldn’t help to time travel, back to …the future of Eritrea discussion sort of. He even got me back to early days of dehai, at least for me that was 1993-4 time, when Saay went by Sal, and Saleh Johar used to sign Q8 next to his name! I was the average dehair that emerges from the survey whose responses look now so much out of touch. Blame me if you want and I will blame Saay for it (it’s unfair man, we had illusion then). What does all this got to do with the subject matter? Hansab…

Reading the exerts of PIA discourse, I was reminded of a bumper sicker that said: “ People from bad neighbourhood steal you cell phone but people from the good neighbourhood steal your pension”. Low ranking functionaries in Eritrea my steal money but IA has been stealing people’s future when it’s not their life.

saay7

Hey old friend No Drama:

I don’t think there is much to apologize for in the conventional view expressed by Dehaiers in 1997. Dehaiers overwhelmingly said that it’s never ok for a government to arrest people without due process. The rest is really left-right politics that people can debate forever. But on civil liberties there was no compromise so u got nothing to apologize for.

Great metaphor about the two kinds of thieves. Isaias stole Eritreans future, 2 generations now, and that’s the worst kind of corruption.

Saay

Amanuel Hidrat

Dear saay,

I am visualizing myself dedating with you the left-right values. I can’ t believe to hear from you saying “left are always wrong”. I wish our Eritrea have given us platform for left-right values debate like the country we live in.

Regards
Amanuel H.

saay7

Emma Arkey:

If Eritrea gave us a platform to discuss left-right values, you would have to discuss it with somebody else because politics bores me:) I am only in it because Isaias/PFDJ keeps arresting, disappearing Eritreans without due process. He stops doing that and I retire from politics. I would rather have a blog about music, sports,technology, macroeconomics, religion, fashion, books, philosophy, astronomy: in other words, life:) In short, I would rather discuss guns than gun proliferation.

saay

Abi

Saay
In short the kind of person I like to have cold beer with. Talk about movies, books , woman, cold beer, hot coffee, …all the good things in life.
Just driving long distance listening to npr like weekend edition, Ted radio hour, or state of our mind, or Bob Edward weekend, …….. Anything but politics!
I’m with you on this.

saay7

Abi:

Well, ok, then. Read the African Economic Outlook that just came out. East Africa is doing awesome. West Africa is doing great. Central Africa is doing great. The only sucky part of the continent now is Southern Africa. And when I say East Africa I, of course, exclude my home country because it is being governed by economic illiterates.

Hi Fanti
If this is my reward for not liking politics, what would be my reward for liking you? Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams? Or Addis Ababa new bete by Alemayehu Eshete ?

Fanti Ghana

Hello Abi, It is a surprise!

Abi

Hi Fanti
I like surprises. Fathers day if fast approaching.
I always want to ask you if you’re the one who coined the word ” yasqugnalesh”
A guy was dating a much older lady ( like your story) where he was not sure whether to say ” tasqignalesh ” or ” yasqugnal ” because of her age and their relationship.
Yasqugnalesh!

Fanti Ghana

Hello Abi,
Gedelkegn! My situation was not that far from ‘yasqugnalesh’ either. I started out with addressing her “emama so and so” when I was still young and innocent, but after I was no more innocent I continued to address her as such, because 1) I didn’t know how to get out of it, and 2) I didn’t want my friends to know that the relationship had changed quality. That is how I address her till this day.

Amanuel Hidrat

Abu saleh,
I assure you buddy , politics whatever draws you in it, it is already in your blood. I have never thought in to politics until I join armed struggle. In life different circumstances draws you in to it directly or indirectly. So friend you are doing phenomenon job in politics more than those who cliam to be politician. Keep up.

Regards,

saay7

Emma Arkey:

Nah. I am just going to have a blog, a very Seinfeldian blog about nothing. For example, I would say something as meaningless as:

Dear Emma:

I know Saleh Gadi Johar is thinking it. I know iSem is thinking it. I know Ismail is thinking it. I know Gheteb is thinking it. But they are too polite to correct you. Here’s the deal:

Etc, etc, etc. So many names to memorize. Since you won’t be able to: just stick to: Dear Saleh.

All the best. (You are welcome iSem, SGJ…)

saay

PS: THIS is why I hate politics:)

Pass the salt

What!? Saleh, what are you doing with the word ‘Abu”? Are you telling me I had it wrong when I used it on Amanuel as ‘Abu Aman’?
Hey I just copied it from the man who has been using it on both of you Salehs. Lol
You were fine with it all along, till today

saay7

Pass the Salt:

Well, here’s one more: in Hollywood movies, when an Arab character is speaking Arabic, he is actually speaking Hollywood version of Arabic: gibberish. Odd because there are so many unemployed Arab actors. Asmarinos say “WaHeed” when the proper Arabic is ” WaHed”. They say Khezab when the proper Arabic is kethab. And just by sheer coincidence, they combine the two words to say “you liar!” giving us the nails-on-chalkboard “Khezab waHeed.” I listened to all this for decades but I am approaching my Grand Torino years so I am just going to be the grouchy old man now:). You may have already heard my rant about “literally.”

Here’s a primer on Abu (as well it’s strange Egyptian and not so strange Maghreb variations) and Abdul which, no matter what Hollywood tells you, is not a name:)

Why you confusing us…….I had accepted that Abu may have another use apart from the “father of”, not because of this forum, but it was not strictly used in that sense in many occasions. SG explanation gives a second use of ownership, so Abu Aman may follow on with Abu Saleh using that argument….you are your own 🙂

Pocking holes on your list:

Osman = Abu Affan
Ibrahim = Abu Khalil

Did Osman have a son named Afan…not really
Did Ibrahim have a son named Khelil…not again

You know when you explain a rule, you don’t begin by explaining the exceptions:) you can call Saleh (SGJ) Abu Salah (not Abu Saleh) because a famous Saleh was once called “Abu Salah”; you can call him ” Abu Adal” because his son is named Adal; you can call him Abu Beret because he often wears a French beret hat; you can call him Abu Awate because Awate.com is also his baby…all this but NOT Abu Saleh 🙂

This one, short and sweet, explains this and the exceptions, including the examples u mentioned:

Hi AOsman:
Let me give you Saay 101:-)
1 He works in seasons, there is season for PFDJ Tigriniya and there is season for satarizing PFDJ and their supports
2. There is season for obsessing and hair splitting with linguistics and beautifully explaining to his cousins the evolution and correct usage of “literally” and then go back and deny that he the is expert, he is just fan of languages he calls himself with relish of modesty. And his example is that some one who has no clue about music can tell the slightest distortion in the Kirar cords 😉
3. There are season for conducting silent and successful coup on Abu Awate and then elevates him self to Sheik Saleh Abu Asmara Al-Americani althani 😉
Emma was using Abu Salah correctly and his Abu Saleh was just a typo and he made that typo a few times and as Saay said I noticed:-) Sal noticed long time, but its season have not come yet 🙂
So now Sheik Saleh Abu Asmara is in this season of linguistic purity, and that is why Sal and I go along well and our conversation unlike that of Eritrean thing do not go like this:
hello, kemay
dehan
sirha kemey alo
tekesh nbil
what? because he does not know Tigrayat;-)
seley nbli
And he is consistent, his approach in politics is also season driven and now it is a season of democratic coup, my ideas change when facts change is his motto. Yes, Abu Affan, I “shetahtahed” to politics because I know he hates politics, he will go nuts. But he will not mind because he has endless and uninterrupted seasons of veganism and he knows that nuts are good for you;-)

saay7

Haha iSem:

Here’s one more thing to add to the confusion: when SGJ goes to Keren, they will call him “Wedi Phillips.” If he goes to Agordat, it will be not Abu Salah but Abu Suluh. Then if he goes to Saudi Arabia, the saudiarabized Eritrean community will call him Abu Adal. This is because it is I considered impolite to address someone by his first name (just like in the West.). The West came up with Mr/Ms Last Name. And the Middle East came up with Abu/Um. And PFDJ came up with the Eritrean tradition of females (at least Muslim females among the Tigrinya and Tigre speakers) of not addressing their husbands by first name and came up with Nsu for Isaias.

saay

AOsman

Dear Semere,

SAAY is detoxing from Abu Sheneb’s speech, the once in year torture that he is allocated to take.

Talking about nick names, once I was in Saudi and I saw a poster of Abu Mut3b (ابو متعب), I never thought it was the name of his son and made me ponder “boor man tired of serving his beoble”, well i later realised it was actually a name of his son. The bedw Arabs come up with strange names, I think there is a perception that names have a major influence on personality and the poor boy it given a tough or mean name to help him in the harsh environment. In Eritrea, it is not the name, but the nick name that you must watch out. Once someone throw it at you, if it sticks, it is one for life.

Regards
AOsman

Saleh Johar

AOsman,
Try to find the government gazzette (not sure of the name) which is a booklet with dark blue covers; you find in it all sorts of legal announcements: inheritance, name change, claim of property ownership, and other legal matters. I used to love reading the section which deals with name changes. Many people do not like the traditional names their parents give them because the names encourage redicule and mocking. So they go to the court and change their names. One name I can’t forget is : Musr’E Dayes Brake. That is a typical Beduin name but in contemporary lingo, it means, “Speedy Steeping on the Brake pedals.” Who can blame the guy for deciding to change that name.

On the first day of 7th grade school year, the names of the students were called loudly by the teachers who informs the students to which class they were assigned. Soon the teacher called a name, “Asperina Kenina!” Immediately he started to laugh and the students joined in. You can imagine the uproar of over a 1000 students laughing at one time. The girl was so embarrassed and humiliated she never returned to school. If it was in the West, show could have successfully sued the school for damages.

Saleh Johar

Saay and Emma,
I will add something provided you promise to deal with Eyob’s reaction. Abu is also used to identify someone with what he owns: Abu red shirt. Abu watch. Abu Taqiya, etc. this is common in Ethiopian history: Abba Tmmer. Abba Negga (ras Alula), Abba Teql ( haile sellase) etc. That is something else the Arabs and the abyssinians share, including the time: 1 O’clock at sunrise and 1 pm at sunset. Now Eyob will add more info to that 🙂

saay7

SGJ…

… and Abu Jedid? 🙂

saay

Saleh Johar

Saay,
How about BaaTera (currency) which is Abu Tera (of the bird. On one side, the Austrian Silver Thaler (currupted to Dollar) carried an eagle, the royal emblem. It was known as Abu Tera (of the bird) it is now Battera.

SenaiErtrawi

Abu Ashera? – like in “jemari sewra” 🙂

Saleh Johar

Senai,
Abu Ashera (of the ten in Arabic) because the rifle had a cartridge of ten bullets.

Amanuel Hidrat

Dear Saay,

Where have you been to this date? Actually I was following you those who know classy Arabic language in my judgement, and if I am not mistaken including you. You see I will stick to my English. Thank you anyway.

regards,
Amanuel Hidrat

Kim Hanna

Selam Abu saay7,
.
I understood your post about politics in general but what you said in in your PS, cannot be true, maybe it is.
.
Let us say in a few days the NBA game you envisioned is scheduled to be broadcast by one of the 3 letter outlets.
You and a couple friends go to the centrally located sports bar with the big TV. You leave your phone at home and plan to enjoy the game without any disturbance. You ordered your tea, of course, and was just about to start the beginning of the game, when one of the TV’s on the left side that was on CNN channel comes up with their “Breaking News” logo and the announcer begins to state “In Eritrea today..”with a map of the country in the background, when those watching close to that TV begin to boo the bar tender. The bar tender at that precise moment clicks the channel to the game channel.
.
What is most likely saay7 to do?
1. Watch the Cav/Warriors game as intended.
2. Demand the bar tender to switch it back to CNN against all odds.
3. Try to borrow a phone and get on net while watching the game.
4. Drive like a maniac to get to home to watch CNN and other 3 letter channels.
5. Call Johar using the borrowed phone to watch CNN and go back to the game.
.
I am tempted to say, with everything I know about you, # 4 is the likely action you would take.
.
And you say you don’t like politics and the 3 letter news outlets.
.
K.H.

saay7

Kim:

If I was watching an NBA finals game, and CNN had “breaking news” and “Eritrea”, I would just assume that some beautiful white girl is missing in Eritrea or maybe there is a storm watch level 10. Those are the only time CNN uses its breaking news graphics. God help us all if a beautiful white girl is missing in bad weather.

saay

Nitricc

hahahahah SAAY you better stick with politics or else how are you going to defend Labron for you to predict Golden state to beat the Cavs? unless you solved who to defend Labron; there is no way for your prediction to be viable. SAAY take this; Cavs in six.

saay7

Hey Nitricc: I didn’t know basketball was your thing. I can’t believe you missed out on your chance to tell us how, all along, you knew soccer was for girls: FIFA officials indicted today but not for agreeing to host the “World Cup outdoors in a desert in summer” as an ESPN host put it:)

Nitricc

Hey SAAY i was in middle of something and i was passing by and read your prediction and say; what? and i had to take a shoot at it. SAAY why are the corrupted officials being extradited to the USA though? i mean, i thought soccer was an European thing. any way will be back to regulation in a few days; till then peace!

saay7

Hey Nitricc: since the U.S. is involved, it must be for FIFA corruption cases that date back to the 1990s: thus the extradition request which they will fight against and it will be tied up in courts forever. The part that interests me the Swiss want to know: ummm, walk me through ur decision making process when you picked a desert to host the World Cup in 2022. That’s when all the corruption of FIFA will be exposed.

Now on your Lebron James. Of course he is good and he is great—for the Eastern Conference. I don’t want to go all regionalist on you but the western conference is superior to the Eastern conference. Of the last 15 NBA Finals, it was a western team that took it. The Cavs are good—for an Eastern team. But in the NBA it’s the West that sets the standards and this year it’s the Warriors baby.

dawit

Dear Awatestas,

Instead of picking a word, a phrase a sentence or a single paragraph, why not dicus and criticize the whole speech. For a website claiming the status of “University” , it is not much to publish the whole speech and analyze it point by point, by our worthy resident Professors her AT university and challenge the president. After all his speeches affect every opposition or “Koboro Junkies” Eritreans at home and abroad. This is the ‘Real Thing’ not Photoshop document

Here is a copy of the English translation of the speech curtsy of Shabait, as always “Serving the Truth”.

For those who are glued to AT and afraid not venture to other Eritrean Web resources, this was how the “Kebero Junkies” in Washington DC celebrated their Independence. Note this is not HGDEF propaganda!
Warning Rated P-13, watching might give headache for ‘Starbuck Junkies” Cheers! dawit.

Dear Dawit
is this only from DC residents ? I am so serious about this . How do they do such thing ?

dawit

Dear selam,

PFDJ knows how to organize Eritreans, believe me they did not pay them to celebrate their independence. PFDJ is from the people, by the people for the people. Here is another young Eritreans 5000+ of them celebrating at Eritrean Embassy in Israel. The “Kebero- Junkies” are multiplying while the “Starbucks Junkies” shrink. If you visit the other Eritrean web sites you will discover the celebration through out the world! Only at AT that the celebration is mute.

– Let’s assume people can tell between a crowd of 400 and 5000+
– Let’s also further assume that there are close to 40,000 Eritrean refugees in Israel as per that country’s statistics
– Let’s also assume that people can tell PFDJ is in power in Eritrea and has been in power when the hundreds of thousands youth left;

Now, if PFDJ is as organizing as you say, why has it found itself holding party for people who rejected its system of draconian repression?

Why did it found it feasible to organize booze and dance party but not rescue and assistance to those having difficulties?

Why can’t it organize so well that the youth would stay under its rule, or at least go back, when Israelis are literally swearing and spitting at them in the streets of south Tel Aviv?

Did you mean PFDJ knows how to organize koboro nights??

Regards

dawit

Hey Hailat,
Give the ‘beoble’ what they want. If they want ‘booze and kebero’ party, then is that not the obligation of a responsible government?

saay7

Hey Dawit:

That’s right up my interest: take on the presidents speech and poke holes in it:) but when I do, people say you are obsessed with the man:). Damn if u do, damn if u don’t. If I find time, I will:) here’s one: the one advantage he claimed, that in contrast to u know who, in Eritrea, once the world rules on a dispute, we accept it and we move on. He began to undo that—by complaining about a 20 year old dispute: the hanish crisis. This was according to u instigated by the U.S.? Why? To quote you: why not?:) aytsa’anu isaiasists. You are very entertaining 🙂

saay

Semere Andom

Sal:
And by this comment you have dissected the speech.
When I was a kid I thought aytsan was “mergem” and since the isaiasists are all kids I hope you are blessing them. God bless you cousin, nzeregemukan zesagogukan timriq. kindi- shihh kuun

dawit

Dear saay,
You wrote “my interest: take on the presidents speech and poke holes in it”. As an intellectual why you want to contribute a distractive criticisms rather constructive criticisms, to improve condition in Eritrea. I think that must be the role of ” Professor of AT University”, that must be the duty of Eritrean nationalists. You could be an opposition and still criticize without poking holes. You picked the hanish crisis out of context. Obviously US have not shown any fairness in its history since 1950’s. So the president use this history to rally the people, and the people believe him, because of their experience and history. No Eritrean will close his/her mind and accept US policy has been fair and balanced. It is always US interest whether it is fair or unfair for a small nations like Eritrea. Until Eritrea is treated fairly and Justly, there can not be Justice inside Eritrea. The injustice in Eritrea is an extension of the injustice imposed on the country by the rest of the world.
Last it is good to be ‘entertaining’ than to be a sadist.

saay7

Hey Dawitom:

“Poke holes in it” is just an expression, as you know, which simply means there are fallacies in the argument. I think you are being super-sensitive here: remember for people who poke holes in the argument of Isaias Afwerki INSIDE Eritrea, the punishment is Ella Eiro. If I wanted to be anything but constructive, I would have said that Isaias Afwerki belatedly read Naomi Klein’s “The Shock Doctrine” and he is just rambling half-assed phrases and, as usual, passing them as his own. He actually thinks that if he says things in Tigrinya, people won’t know it is just borrowed stuff–borrowed from Arab intellectuals, American intellectuals. The man has never had a single original idea.

On Hanish Crisis, come on, Dawitom. That happened in 1995. The problem with Isaiasists is that you suffer from severe case of epistemic closure (look it up.) The case went to the same body that gave us the “final and binding mantra”. Eritrea made its case; Yemen made its case. Yemen mostly won. The end.

You want to know more. Wikipedia “The Hanish Islands Conflict.” Go to the references section. You will find “The Lessons of Yemen” by Younis, Saleh AA. The whole reason that Isaias is blaming the US is because he doesn’t have an answer for why he went to war with Sudan, Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti: every single one of his lawyers. Trust me, I tried to make that case for a long time. He is now saying: the devil (the US) made me do it. That is weak, man. Embarrassingly weak.

saay

Semere Andom

Dear Younis Saleh AA
And who was it who said and if you have done it ain’t bragging. Hint, he is a citizen of the country that told IA go to go to war with Yemen

saay7

Como? iSem:

I told IA to go to war with Yemen? Weriduni Gwal Qeshi as you-know-who once said:)

By the way, I think you should remind Haile TG that his latest word-smithing, “Starbucks junkies” has disregarded “Horton junkies.”:)

saay

Semere Andom

Sal:
I was thinking about Horton junkies too, but if he does not leave in Ohio or NY he will not understand it so I decided against it.
I was thinking of Whitman 🙂

saay7

hey iSem:

and I was thinking of Dr. Seuss:) I went to one of your terrible “Horton” once because there wasn’t a Starbucks anywhere around and…it is a great place…for people who want to give up their coffee addiction. In short, Canada sucks EVEN on the simplest task of making coffee:)

Dear tes,
Interesting, Brother Qadaffi, never betrayed his “One Nation One People”, motto. It was the sellout Libyans that betrayed their Nation and people, collaborated with the enemies to destroy Libya. Brother Qadaffi is a martyr who gave his life for his country. He was murder. Can you tell me Libya prospered after Quadaffi? Try to answer this question honestly and go to your bathroom and see yourself in the mirror. Who do you see? Do you see the future sellout of Eritrea?
Huka, dawit

Abi

Hey dawit
Here you are dealing with the most dangerous and heavily armed individual , prof Tess .
He has used Newtonian bomb to destroy YG, Amanuel, Saay and Hayat. He just used thermodynamics to destroy Gheteb. He also has a poison gas in his storage. You are picking him. If he turn around at you and release that deadly poison gas ( Tusssss) quietly , you are dead!
Be careful my friend.
Know your limits.
BTW, he failed to kill Selam using love as a weapon. He is not good in that department.
You Need evidence? Visit awate cemetery.

tes

Dear Ai,

What are you doing man? UNSC is reading your lines. I do not want to be accused for means that I don’t use.

I am fun of physics. Even I have used physics to define LOVE. If I use chemistry, it is only when I want perfumes that attract millions of Eritreans to come togther abd praise the Almighty for the love they shower them (my vision).

tes

+ dawit is fine. Now he is almost de-programmed from his PFDJ lines. Only leftout is “zingese ngusna”.

tes

dear dawit,

I have a Tunisian classmate who is always terrified to recall Libyans. She is always amzaed about thier illiteracy. He let them to bury their mind.

Ghadafi thought that “human being can live eating only”. He missed the other but equally important part, “to think”.

If I there is something that I may appreciate about Ghadafi is his big dream to see Africa united. In this regard, his role will be remembered. I hope another African leader to follow his footsteps.

tes

Semere Andom

Tess:

Ghadaffi or what the PFDJ supporters affectionately call Brother was a lunatic, and Libyans in particular and humanity in general are better off with him gone, he lived with out honor and he died without it, the fate of all dictators

And the illiteracy that Brother presided over is mind boggling, but PFDJ talks about the elites of his tribes who were paid $2000 USD per month plus tuition fee paid in full to attend universities in Canada and else were. Libya lost the Golden age of the oil and in the future its oil will be useless as USA, the biggest consumer of the black gold becomes less dependent on oil from those countries.

About Brother’s united Africa, that was also stupid and will be remembered as that, not that unity is bad, but to what end, his people have high rate of illiteracy and what was in it for them? He was just making a name for himself at the expense of the riches of the people.

He once said that Coca-Cola was discovered and created in Africa but the west sells it back to Africans. Even if that is true, how did this drink help humanity, it is not a breakthrough, but the supporters were clapping as you can imagine and a PFDJ supporter was smitten to discover from brother that that drink was African creation;-)

There is too much talk about how Libya is now, but who made it to be so, yea you got it, not the west, it was its leader who was there for 40 years. The longer the dictators stay the messier the country becomes and that is why Eritea’s case us urgent. Empowered society, with institutions intellectuals and professionals will not fragment after it is attacked. It he dictators who set up the society to become eggshells.

tes

Dear SA,

I agree with you. If I mentioned Ghadafi’s contribution to African unity, it is not in reference to what he did to his people but what he did to Africans. And remember, Ghadafi is one who bombed Eritreans by allying with Ethiopia.

But at least he tried his best to keep African countries together. Even I see his alliement with Ethiopia from this perspective though he failed to read Eritrean historical realities. Did you think he had an image of Eritreans who supported Italians during war time in Libya?

On the other perspective, I agree with you that Ghadafi’s fanatic dream was solely his own imaginary vision. It is out of African people’s perspective.

Thank you
tes

Abi

Hi Tes
Can’t believe you said this . Hoy do you dream to see a United Africa when we can’t even live together as one . Or may be this Africa you are dreaming doesn’t include ethiopia and eritrea?
I’ve more questions. Later.

tes

Dear Abi,

If we read world unity landscape, UN, AU, EU, etc, all are under unity. But this does not mean to leave your rights and join to form a central government.

The most silly and stupid mistake done by Hailessilassiewas to try to annex Eritrea. Had he worked hard to form a united Africa without forcing Eritrea to be part of Ethiopia, his legacy could be eternal. Eritreans could have continued to prosper as a country but together with all African countries. Hailessilassie just did a stupid historical mistake.

Therefore, United Africa is different from “to be one under one government”. Just let’s learn from EU. Their unity is for peace, prosperity and respect. And they called for unity based on experience and hardship they faced together. Africans have different history. Except Eritrea and Ethiopia and some countries, their history is much influenced by externals. Hence, unity for Africans and for Europeans and likes is different. And if Africans call for unity, it is for economic growth and prosperity not like EU to avoid confrontations.

Again, I wish to see a united African countries and work toghether for their prosperity.

Abi

Prof Tes
You can dream anything you want, you can say anything you want. I have no problem with that. I cringe when you call the king stupid. He might be greedy when it comes to his power. He was not stupid. He was Smarter than you think of him. I think you need to read a little bit about him. You will be surprised to know so many things about him. Just read his historical speech at the League of Nations.
Besides, it doesn’t make you any smarter when you call anyone a ” stupid.”
Take it easy.
PS
This african unity you are dreaming about, he started it. He was called ” yeAfrica Abat.”
When the whole Africa was under colonization, ethiopia was member of the league of nations. It is because of him . He is an african hero. RIP.
Don’t tell me nonsense.

haileTG

Haha..L.T,

You gave it away. Let me guess, you are one of long time diaspora resident who went back in decades? Right? Let me borrow IA’s words: “Asmara is a jungle” try to go more often. If I tell you where I get to see when I am there, you wouldn’t know if you ever knew a city called Asmara. wink wink 🙂

‘Gheteb

Tes Had The Skinny About This Gedab News Before It Was Published? You Be The Judge.

EXHIBIT A

tes dawit • 19 hours ago
Dear dawit,
I am sure AT are busy in researching and compling facts on DAI’s next vectims by the name of corruption. DIA is weeding hiscriminal puppets who are living through corruption. I am planning to open a case against him as he shutting our business (the weed-thme-out camp).
tes

As EXHIBIT A makes it apparently manifest Tes was “SURE” that AT were “BUSY” doing their “research and compiling facts”. Here the operative phrase is “I am sure”. Well, you may be wondering why I would even waste my time writing about this person, but I have one compelling reason for doing so. I want to show that there is a reason why Tes is free and seems to have been granted immunity to accuse and label anyone with anything without even a scarp or shred of evidence here in this Forum.

Now, you may be asking why this lowdown coward has the lowdown about this Gedab News and what is the big deal about it, anyways. Well, keep reading.

EXHIBIT B

tes Awate • 2 days ago
Deat AT,
Very great step. With the landing of Gheteb, this website was abused very often. He came here for the only reason to propagate PFDJ ideals. he had no any other reason. Gheteb used the opportunity of welcome to advance his thirsty of airing his lines heavily.Oh!
Thank you for reminding such deaf people and staying responsible on your mission.

tes

This was what Tes wrote in response to what Awate Moderator’s “explanations” 2 days ago

Awate Awate Moderator • 2 days ago
Dear all,
We think it is time that we made a few points clear. It seems some cementers are forgetting a few things:

Here what I find to be very curious is that right on cue Tes was the first one to respond as if he was waiting impatiently. He responded to Awate’s post in a flash and who was Tes’s point of attack. It is right there in black and white and it is of course non other than ‘Gheteb. Well, the logical question that any sane person would ask is: Why only ‘Gheteb if Awate’s Moderators post was meant for all Forumers of this website? Yes, why did Tes only target ‘Gheteb with his baseless and utterly unfounded allegations? Yes, WHY?

Importantly, if accusing someone without any evidence of being a Weyane agent is against the Posting Guidelines, why would Tes be LITERALLY given the green light to accuse ‘Gheteb of being ” a PFDJ propagandist” ” abusing this website” “Propagating PFDJ ideals” etc. etc without proffering even a dab of corroborating evidence?? And why the Moderator has unfailingly failed to call out Tes? That is indeed the crux of this issue and the million dollar question.
Tes’s unbounded transgressions know no bounds. This is confirmed by the following:

EXHIBIT C

This is where one espies and notices the glaring moral failure of all Awate Forumers. We have among us one who is nothing less than a “CYBER BULLY” and a “CYBER STALKER” who has been harassing and baselessly accusing an Awate Forumer for a long period of time. We all know Selam who has her own views about Eritrea. Tes has accused Selam of anything and everything under the skies. In all of these, the person who ended up being sanctioned is Selam and Tes, of course, gets the pro forma reminder from the Moderator, perfunctorily, and life goes on as usual here.

I am not saying this is a probative evidence that there is a hanky panky or some sort of subterfuge between the Moderator and Tes, but it raises more red flags about Tes who accuses anyone and everyone about anything and everything without producing even a soupcon of evidence.

Finally, the bumpkin Tes, Tesfabirhan Weldegabir Readie, and whoever may be priming him to do his hatchet jobs and calumniations, should realize that some of us have the gift of literally ‘teasing out fat from a house fly’ and are more than being prime candidates fit to be relegated as denizens of a Zoo.

selam

Dear Gheteb
I thought tes was some one like moderator of awate.com forumers unless how on earth does he get such immunity. You know he has the right to abuse any one around not once not twice but none stop. He insult me on daily basis with out any thing even if I said stop or ignored him. He accuse Amanuel hidrat on daily basis and I couldn’t imagine why he get the green light to spit all over us. Politically I have very little difference with him but I feel more comfortable to even insulted by other people than by him , I have asked for the moderator to intervene , even one day I specifically accused the moderator for no reason to get his attention , you know what he wrote to me , you better listen or leave but I was indirectly asking for his help yet no one was around. Now I choose to totally ignore every thing about him. I begg you to just ignore him , he is a bully for no reason.

‘Gheteb

Hi Selam,

No, Selam. The time to ignore Tes has long expired. Now is the time to literally throw the Posting Guidelines at his face and ask him to prove all his wild allegations. He may be a cyber bully, but that doesn’t mean he is going to bully ‘Gheteb, no freaking way!

He has to prove his allegations about me. If he can’t, then he will be asked to retract his accusations. If he doesn’t do that, he will be reminded and reminded of it till the cows come home.

Selam, no one should bow down to this lowdown coward and NO more abuses by this ignoramus bumpkin.

He will be called to the carpet first, if that doesn’t work, who knows Tes may end up “taken to the cleaners”, pun intended!

selam

Dear Gheteb
I understand you but you will be required to go down some ladders in order to make him understand.

tes

Dear Gheteb,

Very interesting read. I wish you a good fight with Tes. Is this your new mission after DIA literally killed PFDJ?

The good thing is, “I know how to knock the mind of deaf people like Gheteb.

On your conspiracy, did you read my exchange with Mahmud and haile TG? I think you are plagirizing my line of thought.

Fact: awate.com is my home. Home is home. I know what my family are cooking not because I am inside the kitchen but through the aroma it sends.

In Bilen community, a man is not allowed to enter to kitchen and check what is being cooked. Yet, he knows what he will be served. I grew up with this culture and I am observing ti.

Rest, I will leave to AT.

tes

++ Since I use French keyboard, I usually have spelling error beside my english deficiency. The good thing is, I never failed to knock your mind. This is success. BRAVO Tess!

Abi

Hey Tes
You just misspelled your name. Or is it in French?
Never a dull moment when you are around.

tes

Dear Abi,

Aha, you spotted it, Yah, that is what my classmates used to right. Tesfabirhan is too long for them, and Tes with single “s” is ends abrubtly, hence Tess, and becomes soft. Also, in Chinese tonation, I faced the same problem.

tes*

Abi

Tess
In Amharic it is Tussss. It is even longer and softer .

Mahmud Saleh

Deeeeeaaaarrrrrr abi
You know, just between us (you see, people think that shaebia and Amara are not supposed to be nice to each other, yes? WRONG!), any way, I’m becoming addicted to your short messages.
I have to tell you without abi the Ethio-Nit,Gen.Nit, cousin Hope, tes, selam, semere… and now Ghehteb (I think Ghehteb has literally terrorized awatista intellectual community, just look how Gual Adem is conducting herself. (ተውሳኺተይ፡ እንድዒ። “እነ እንጃ” እንደማለት ነው), without the occasional flare-ups of exchanges between these guys, I don’t know, the forum would be just dull. So, they are needed here, with, of course, some reminders to spell-check their names. Constant cuing on observing moderation.
How is the election? I think, this time, the “shengo” will be 100% EPRDF. And SAAY will have a year’s worth of material to keep him busy, for now he is on his favorite subject (IA)…because he loves Ethiopia. I don’t know why Gual Adem accuses him of being anti-Ethiopia. Anyway, WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS, FOR THE MOST PART, I HEAR IT WAS PEACEFUL.

saay7

Haha Mahmuday:

Years ago, I use to follow music magazines religiously: Rolling Stone, Sound on Sound, Spin. Anyway, one of them (I think it is Spin) was doing a review of an album by Van Halen. And the reviewer said, “if you don’t like Van Halen, you are just wrong.” That was it:) So, “if one doesn’t like Ethiopia, one is just wrong.” One can have many many many opinions of who governs Ethiopia and one may choose to decide what to say about it in June:)

saay

Mahmud Saleh

Hala Ya abusalah
Right after the liberation of Eritrea (sem has a name for it, anyway) IA conducted a seminar in Kagnew. It was for issues related to tegadelti’s questions that they be let go… to tend to long forgotten personal needs…old parents…or compensate them. This was in the early days, way before the all-known tegadelti protest. The theme of his speech was that the reality and expectation did not meet, that tegadelti should readjust their expectation to the reality (war ravaged country and ransacked economy).ትጽቢትን ክውንነትን ኣይተጋጠመን። Well, you have heightened our expectation for June, or June 13, hopefully it will meet our expectation. I am waiting for another ….shattering article.
abi is counting on that, plus the count of the election…which is 100%, just a switch of one opponent seat.

saay7

Well Mahmuday:

IA had also something to say about not setting expectations too high when gold was discovered:) I have nothing major in June really; it is just my way of saying whatever you were expecting me to say, i can’t say it now:)

saay

Abi

Dear Mahmud
Deeeaaarrrrr is too loud! It happens only when prof Tussss is angry and use his Newton bomb. Boooommmm!
I heard the election was quite. It is a good start. The future is brighter both economically and politically. Inshallah!
Back to awate land. It is really a good place. So many things makes me laugh . Specially those lines honestly said in a debate that can be interpreted differently . One day I asked Selam if she is dating an Oromo from olf . She replied ” I don’t want to play push-up with you”
You can put my
question and her answer together and make a joke out of it.
As you see we just found some names are stinky and deadly.
Life is good at awate light.
PS
With 100% whiners EPRDF is going to have majority for the first time in history. NO coalition government this time.

Hayat Adem

Mahmuday,
You are evil:) Why are you opening two fronts for me knowing that I am now totally neutralized by Saay’s exceptional intellectual valor and Gheteb’s exceptional loud thunder and noisy kebero?

In engineering courses, we take statics, dynamics and thermodynamics. Though I mentioned Newtonian law, I also have other packages.

Today I will use my thermodaynmics background. You are landing to tes’s atmosphere with high heat energy. tes has enough capacity to absorb the heat energy you have and convert it into other forms of energy.

tes

tes

Dear Gheteb,

Are you cool now? Learn from the bumpkin. He has lots of wisdom for you. I like confronting ideas not personalities. If you fail now not to let down tes, blame your methodology.

Just a reminder, tes has all tools.

tes

Mizaan1

Dear Mr. Gheteb, that was an interesting read, hilarious more accurately to describe it. Your humor is super subtle but I enjoy it a lot. Tes, the modern farmer, indeed knows no bounds. He picked up a fight with me too and he was going to use Newtonian mechanics but I defended myself with quantum mechanics.

But quite frankly, when all said and done you and Tes have very little difference in your views. He resents PFDJ and you are playing the devils advocate. Other than that your core message and his core message is let’s protect ourselves from ‘Abyssinian fundamentalists.’ Your approach is keeping IA and PFDJ in place and his is by ridding of IA and PFDJ but your pathes eventually converge once Eritreanism is restored in its high pedestal right place.

‘Gheteb

Hello Mizaan 1,
Thanks for the feedback and I understand your points. They are much appreciated. Believe me Mizaan I have applied every excuses from Tes’s ‘mastery’ of English language to other considerations and I have never bothered to respond to him in kind, but the man is literally bereft of detecting nuances and seem unable to observe and see far from his nose.
I believe that whether he will ‘listen’ or not, someone has to let him know that there are limits and bounds. You can say this is just a primer on Bounds and Limits 101, especially designed for Tes.
Regards

tes

Dear Mizaan1,

You are absolutely right when you say, “Other than that your core message and his core message is let’s protect ourselves from ‘Abyssinian fundamentalists.”. In fact this is where Gheteb and me agree with 100%.

Dear Mizaan1, I am not fighting to have a weak country but a strong one. If we are weak now, it is only temporary. It will end with the fall of PFDJ and Eritrea will have the right position as per our Martyrs vision.

More than that, I know my history and I know who I am. There is no room to opportunists and abyssinian fundamentalists.

And if I call people to be strong and with full of hope (like what I did for you and Amanuel Hidrat), it is only because I want you to stay strong. I have reservation on your line of thinking but so far I didn’t oppose you. For Amanuel Hidrat, all I try to do is to remind him “hope and energy”. Neverthless I don’t wish for him to stay in the Never Land. I am trying my best to pull him out from that.

tes

saay7

Hey LT:

To bribe someone is easy. To talk about it before Isaias Afwerki gives you permission to do that is hard:)

Now, here come all the “keysaErere” editorials from the State and quazi-State media. Then the Special Court. Then the disappearance without due process. That’s when the State “pilfered you, the whole you.” Ask Ermias Debessay, ask the many others in underground prisons waiting for you to be their voice, LT.

saay

haileTG

Selamat Awatista,

To explain the apparent dubious hesitancy of IA to the proposed aid package by the EU, one needs to first review the ten commandments. Actually, you don’t even need all, but just the second.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am o jealous God

IA holds Eritreans in general in extremely low esteem. You would rather pass a rope and ask him to hang himself than expect him to express even the slightest form of respect to Eritreans in general and his crony in particular. If you note on Dr Andebrhan’s words, IA referred to the migrating youth in a disparaging tone as “…let them go, they’ll see where their dirty skin will get them ..[paraphrased]” Of course, this was to the face of his crony who were supposed to be the parents of these so called “dirty skin castaway”!!

The very fact that the cronies expressed interest on the aid package and contemplated EU orders, must make their jealous God [IA] mad. How can an Eritrean man considered a “dirty skinned” and Eritrean woman considered “Kedamit” in IA’s parlance dare to go over his head to anticipate bigger than their sandal sporting stupid stone aged rascal chief.

IA would cancel all the ongoing discussion with EU, for that very reason and his taking offence at the fact that his cabinet of rats didn’t just say “let your wish be granted, our lord!”. The junkies, thieves and sellouts are now about to lose the little thieving and scamming they were hopping to do on the aid money. As they say, ኢድ ሸናሒት’ሲ ጸናሒት። ንመን ኣብ ባሕሪ ሰንድዮም ደኣ’ሞ ክኹሉሱ። IA treats them the way they allowed him to, and they only have themselves to blame.

Dear all, again happy independence day to all of you eritreans,
since 24th may the comments to the presidents speech were any way to many and varied but in a nutshell very interesting.
interesting not because of its merits toward the occasion but its personality vilification towards tegadalay isaias afwerki, interesting because it says nothing about eritreans independence struggle, and to day on this article or opinion of gedab is the same- same of those comments . now my question to our compatriots is if we don’t believe the speech of the president of last year and this year why do we believe he will implement the anti corruption work he seems to elude in his speech. why would we think this time its true and it has started to have its effect on those suspects as mentioned in the article .i think its all about opposing anything and ,everything !

tes

Dear sara,

Not the corrupted individuals but his corrupted system is responsible. A corrupted system produces corrupted officers.

Another thing is;

1. Did you see how he conveyed his message?

2. Did you notice his shock anger he expressed after an uploud?

It is time the last hour of PFDJ.

@awate, AT, thank you for your ontime news report.

tes

sara

Dear tes,
let us take a lite side of the occasion, you know when i read in the comments section, i thought wow i think this would have been a good comments to fill a reportage if they also mentioned about his shoes size, color, brand, if it was loosened or tightly made etc. remember last year the buzz in paris about hollande’s escapades to his……that sounds a similar way of criticizing a president.
on serious note……yes i did hear his speech on a computer as i was at work, a bit of interruption because of the net… but ok
1- message brief straight and to the point….
2- i did , notice maybe he didnt expected he will be interrupted or that many will like it…kind of..
ata… tes, i think its high time for pfdj… by extention majority of the people…
i also thank awate for giving us the space to exchange brother/sister views

happy ind day to you!

Dayphi

hala wa marhaba ya sara. About his big shoe size? We dont want to discuss that, because we all know talking of it, would be translated into another positive manly thing of fabio Esayas. however, have you been following last month’s Eritreans comments on fb and other social medias of his MUDDY SHOES while in saudi Qasral Malaky [ Royal Palace ] in Riyadh in the presence of the ” Castodian Of The Two Holy Sanctuaries?” If not, faatik nisf omrik…. in habesha lingo, 3imrikhi [ frqu ] konto Hariru. I dont know of any corresponding sayings in engleezi, other than U MISSED A LOT.

sara

really! what did i miss, al-ashaa (kibssa) , or al qahwa alarabi- none of that of course, i was there i saw heard everything, unfortunately i will not share it here with you in public. you see you how much you missed. as for the fb etc, well i do, and thanks to my folks we really had fun about all what is going on with you guys. again i will leave you to guess what we found about you and your buddies.
Dayf –ya qa’ale wo azizi !